IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie

The IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (IG BCE) is a trade union in Germany. It is one of eight industrial affiliations of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB).

IGBCE
IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie
FoundedOctober 1997
HeadquartersHannover, Germany
Location
Members
645,000
Key people
Michael Vassiliadis, president
AffiliationsDGB
Websitewww.igbce.de

History and structure

The IG BCE was created in 1997 from the merger of the Chemical, Paper and Ceramic Union, Leather Union, and Union of Mining and Energy. It covers workers in the following industries: mining (especially of coal), chemicals, natural gas, glass, rubber, ceramics, plastics, leather, petrol (and related products), paper, recycling, and water. With some 645,000 members (as of 2016)[1] IG BCE represents about one tenth of all DGB members and is the third biggest union within that confederation. There are some 1,100 locals and 900 groups of shop stewards organized in 42 regional districts, which cooperate in eight state chapters: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse/Thuringia, North, Northeast, North Rhine, Rhineland-Palatinate/Saarland and Westphalia.[2]

In 2015, IG BCE successfully negotiated a pay rise for 550,0000 employees with Germany's chemical employers association BAVC.[3]

Political positions

IG BCE has been playing a key role in Germany's energy transition. In 2014, the union proposed that Germany's utilities should pool their struggling hard coal plants into a joint entity, referring to the hard coal plants with total capacity of between 28 and 30 gigawatts (GW), most of which are owned by E.ON, RWE, EnBW, Vattenfall and STEAG.[4] By 2015, the union proposed gradually phasing out old coal-fired power stations and building combined heat and power (CHP) stations fired with gas. Its plan included taking at least 2.7 gigawatts of brown coal-fired capacity gradually out of the market rather than risking sudden closures.[5] On the initiative of IG BCE, thousands of coal miners and workers in coal-fired plants marched in Berlin in April 2015 to protest a proposed levy on the oldest, most polluting power stations, saying it could lead to losses of up to 100,000 jobs and the decline of the industry in Germany.[6]

In 2016, IG BCE, with the support of the BDI industry group, again raised concerns about plans for Germany to end its use of brown coal amid calls for it to set out a timetable for ending coal-fired power production.[7]

Presidents
1997: Hubertus Schmoldt
2009: Michael Vassiliadis

Notable members

References

Citations
  1. About Us IG BCE
  2. http://igbce.de/bY.
  3. Caroline Copley ( March 12, 2015), German chemicals union threatens strikes over wage dispute Reuters
  4. Matthias Inverardi (February 23, 2014), German utilities should pool ailing hard coal plants, union says Reuters.
  5. Vera Eckert and Caroline Copley (June 24, 2015), Germany to decide between coal levy and alternative on July 1 Reuters.
  6. Caroline Copley (April 25, 2015), Thousands of coal workers march in Berlin in protest against climate tax Reuters.
  7. Markus Wacket (November 11, 2016), Germany cuts CO2 targets for industry ahead of Morocco talks Reuters.

Sources
  • ICTUR; et al., eds. (2005). Trade Unions of the World (6th ed.). London, England: John Harper Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9543811-5-8.
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