EQS-News: R. STAHL reaches forward-looking collective bargaining agreement with Works Council and IG Metall

R. STAHL reaches forward-looking collective bargaining agreement with Works Council and IG Metall

• Agreement provides for location and employment guarantee until 2030 with a 37-hour week
• Gives both contractual partners long-term planning security
• Negotiations conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect
• Investments as accompanying condition

Waldenburg, 11 April 2024 - R. STAHL has reached a far-reaching collective bargaining agreement with the Works Council and IG Metall Baden-Württemberg for the main location in Waldenburg. The agreement’s key elements include the establishment of a 37-hour working week for all employees covered by the collective bargaining agreement, as well as job and location safeguards for the entire workforce at the location until the end of 2030. The supplementary collective bargaining agreement applies retroactively from January 2024 for the companies based in Waldenburg: R. STAHL AG, R. STAHL Schaltgeräte GmbH and R. STAHL Services GmbH.

Additional outcomes from contract negotiations include an additional vacation day to be determined annually by management and the expansion of the existing bonus scheme, which now takes effect at an EBT yield of 3% (previously from 5%). R. STAHL has also made a commitment to make further investments, for example in various production machines and also to expand its production space.

For economically weaker phases with declining order intake, working hours can be made more flexible within a clearly defined framework. The new agreement replaces the existing collective bargaining agreement for the location. It that agreement had expired, the company would have been subject to the regional collective bargaining agreement. 

“We are pleased to have achieved far-reaching planning security with this positive collective bargaining agreement for all parties involved”, says Dr. Mathias Hallmann, CEO of R. STAHL AG. With attractive working conditions, the explosion protection expert is also clearly setting itself apart in the competitive market for skilled workers and emphasizing its clear commitment to the location. The seven-year contract term rounds off the stable agreement and provides scope to continue the successful implementation of the Group strategy.

Klaus Erker, Chairman of the Group Works Council, is also pleased with the agreement: “The conclusion of the collective bargaining agreement for the location represents an important step forward for R. STAHL. The negotiations took place under difficult conditions for everyone involved, but if the right negotiating partners work together with a willingness to be constructive, we can achieve our goals together.” The Works Council sees the additional day of vacation and the extended bonus scheme as recognition for the work of employees.

The Executive Board and management have offered to arrange for the Weimar site, which is not yet covered by a collective bargaining agreement, to be connected to the regional collective bargaining agreement for the metal and electrical industry in Thuringia.

About R. STAHL – www.r-stahl.com
R. STAHL is the world's leading supplier of electrical and electronic products and systems for explosion protection. These products and systems prevent explosions in hazardous areas and contribute to the safety of people, machines and the environment. The portfolio ranges from products used in switching/distributing, installing, operating/monitoring, lighting and signalling/alarming up to automation.

Typical customers are the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, the oil & gas industry - including LNG applications - as well as the food and beverage industry. Most of the R. STAHL products are also approved for use with hydrogen. According to preliminary figures, in 2023 global sales amounting to around € 330,6 million were generated by 1,721 employees. The shares of R. STAHL AG are traded on the Regulated Market/Prime Standard of Deutsche Boerse (ISIN DE000A1PHBB5).

Forward-looking statements
This release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates of R. STAHL’s management. Although we assume that the expectations of these forward-looking statements are realistic, we cannot guarantee that these expectations will prove to be correct. The assumptions may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such discrepancies include: changes in the macroeconomic and business environment, exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations, the roll-out of competing products, a lack of acceptance of new products or services, and changes in business strategy. R. STAHL does not plan to update these forward-looking statements nor does it accept any obligation to do so.