Protective framework for TKE employees

TK Elevator (TKE) and the trade union Industriegewerkschaft (IG) Metall signed a process agreement on 18 June. This is intended to protect employees against negative consequences of the takeover by its competitor Kone.

The process agreement now reached creates binding guard rails for the further course of the sales process, declared the IG Metall North Rhine Westphalia in a press release. The background was that due to competition law requirements, changes could occur such as sales or spin-offs of company divisions.

"The goal of the agreement is to ensure that such measures do not occur at the expense of the employees." A TKE spokesperson declined to make a statement.

According to the employee representatives, the central points of the agreement are as follows:

• Stability of the ongoing business: Business operations will carry on unchanged, investments continue and measures that could weaken the company are ruled out.
• Clear rules for structural measures: Potential sales or restructurings must occur in an orderly and transparent manner with an economic perspective. Any sell-out or "cherry-picking" is ruled out.
• Protection of existing collective contractsand agreements: Existing arrangements, in particular the collective agreement "Future elevator" will remain in force until conclusion of the sale.
• Protection against dismissal: Compulsory redundancies are ruled out at least until the conclusion of the sale.
• Strong co-determination: Works councils will be informed at an early date, continuously involved and have an influence on important steps.
• Continuation of the negotiations: Further agreements on long-term protection ("Future 2.0") are already being drawn up.

"We will achieve real protection for the workforce with the agreement," Yusuf Tüfekci, President of the TKE Group Works Council was convinced. There were clear pledges regarding employment security, locations and co-determination. "At the same time, it’s clear: this is only the beginning – we will actively shape the ongoing process."

More informations: nordrhein-westfalen.igmetall.de