Germany’s most powerful union bleeding members for 7th year in a row
Germany’s IG Metall union has seen a decline in membership for the seventh consecutive year, the country’s most powerful union reported on Monday.
IG Metall, which predominantely represents workers in manufacturing including across Germany’s important car industry, counted 2,015,495 members in 2025, down 3.9% compared to the previous year.
It was the seventh year in a row that Germany’s biggest union reported a decline in membership, pointing to some 140,000 job cuts across industry, among other factors.
In 2025, IG Metall gained some 93,000 members, the lowest figure since 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the decline in membership, IG Metall recorded a record €648 million in membership fees, which are tied to salaries which have been rising recently.
IG Metall leadership remained defiant despite the drop in members, with treasurer Nadine Boguslawski saying the union would not accept anything less than pay increases in upcoming wage negotiations later this year for some 3.8 million workers.
