Gesamtmetall

Gesamtmetall — formally the Gesamtverband der Arbeitgeberverbände der Metall- und Elektro-Industrie e. V. — is the umbrella federation of German employers' associations in the metal and electrical engineering industries (M+E). Founded in 1890 as the Verband Deutscher Metallindustrieller in Berlin, it is one of Germany's oldest and most influential industrial employers' organisations. Its headquarters are in Berlin, with a liaison office in Brussels, and it is a member of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA). The federation represents the common interests of Germany's largest industrial sector at federal level. According to its own figures, it speaks for 22 member associations representing more than 7,100 companies and 2.4 million employees. The M+E industries generate turnover of more than 1.3 trillion euros a year across more than 25,600 companies with around 3.9 million employees, and two thirds of products and services are exported. The sector is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises: over two thirds of companies employ fewer than 100 people, while only two percent have a workforce of over 1,000. The largest sub-sectors are mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, metal-working, electrical engineering and precision mechanics/optics/clocks. Gesamtmetall's core work lies in industrial labour relations, social policy and education policy. It analyses the economic climate, devises strategies for collective bargaining and coordinates negotiations with trade unions, though as an umbrella body it normally does not itself conclude collective agreements — that task rests with the sixteen regional M+E employers' associations, which hold bargaining sovereignty. The federation also runs activities such as the think ING. engineering recruitment campaign and ten mobile careers-information trucks that tour schools nationwide. It is headed by a President elected by the general board — Dr Udo Dinglreiter since 2025 — while day-to-day business is led by Director General Oliver Zander. The federation employs over 50 staff at its Berlin headquarters and Brussels liaison office. In recent years Gesamtmetall has been a prominent voice warning about deindustrialisation in Germany. Its president has argued that the M+E industry is in its longest crisis since the founding of the Federal Republic, with production about 15 percent below pre-crisis levels, 340,000 jobs lost and roughly 10,000 more disappearing each month, and has criticised union demands as ignoring the depth of the crisis. The federation is also known for its transparent publication of membership figures, which fell from 9,533 in 1991 to 4,214 in 2006 before recovering to around 7,100 by 2026 following the introduction of membership without collective bargaining (OT membership).

Gesamtmetall traces its origins to 1890, when the Verband Deutscher Metallindustrieller was founded in Berlin, shortly afterwards renamed Gesamtverband deutscher Metallindustrieller. It was one of the earliest national employers' organisations in German industry, created to represent metalworking employers in an era when coalitions of workers and employers were only gradually being legalised — the Kingdom of Saxony had permitted such coalitions only in 1861. A decisive turning point came on 15 November 1918, when employers' associations and trade unions concluded the Stinnes-Legien Agreement, mutually recognising each other and agreeing to conclude collective agreements and establish arbitration bodies. This laid the foundation for Germany's system of collective bargaining autonomy (Tarifautonomie), published in the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger No. 213 of 18 November 1918. The system developed during the Weimar Republic but was forcibly ended under National Socialism: after the Nazis destroyed the trade unions, the employers' associations dissolved themselves in 1933. After the Second World War, the organisation was rebuilt. In 1947 the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Eisen- und Metallindustrie für die britische Zone was formed, and in 1949 the umbrella association of all German metal industry employers' associations was re-established as the Gesamtverband der Metallindustriellen Arbeitgeberverbände, based in Wiesbaden. In 1954 the office moved to Cologne (Volksgartenstraße). Following German reunification, new East German regional associations were founded in 1990 and joined the federal association. In 2003 the head office moved from Cologne to Berlin, reflecting the federation's focus on federal politics and lobbying. In 2005 Gesamtmetall opened itself to associations offering membership without collective bargaining (OT membership), a change that reshaped its membership structure. Membership had fallen from 9,533 companies in 1991 to 4,214 in 2006 — a decline of almost 56 percent — but with the integration of OT membership from 2007 the figure rose again to 6,321 companies, reaching 7,335 in 2024 and around 7,100 by 2026. Membership gains came exclusively from OT memberships, while the number of collectively bound firms continued to decline. Gesamtmetall has been a member of the European Movement Germany since 2011. The federation has been led by a series of prominent industrialists. Early presidents included Paul Heckmann (1890–1910), Anton von Rieppel (1911–1919) and Ernst von Borsig (1920–1933). Post-war presidents included Hans Bilstein (1949–1959), Herbert van Hüllen (1961–1976), Werner Stumpfe (1985–1991 and again as executive president 1996–2000), Martin Kannegiesser (2000–2012), Rainer Dulger (2012–2020) and Stefan Wolf (2020–2025). Since 2025 the president has been Dr Udo Dinglreiter, CEO/Chairman of the Management Board of R. Scheuchl GmbH. The day-to-day business has been led by Director General Oliver Zander since 2013. In the 2020s Gesamtmetall has positioned itself as a leading voice warning of deindustrialisation. It argues that the M+E industry is in its longest crisis since the founding of the Federal Republic, with production 15 percent below pre-crisis levels, 340,000 jobs lost and about 10,000 more disappearing monthly, and that high energy costs, bureaucracy, taxes, levies and labour costs make Germany too expensive to compete globally. It has publicly criticised IG Metall's wage demands as ignoring the reality of the crisis.

• 2025

  Udo Dinglreiter becomes President, succeeding Stefan Wolf.

• 2013

  Oliver Zander becomes Director General.

• 2011

  Gesamtmetall becomes a member of the European Movement Germany.

• 2005

  Opening to associations offering membership without collective bargaining (OT membership).

• 2003

  Head office moves from Cologne to Berlin.

• 1990

  Founding of new East German regional associations and their accession to the federal association.

• 1954

  Head office moves to Cologne (Volksgartenstraße).

• 1949

  Re-establishment of the umbrella association as Gesamtverband der Metallindustriellen Arbeitgeberverbände in Wiesbaden.

• 1947

  Formation of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Eisen- und Metallindustrie für die britische Zone.

• 1933

  Employers' associations dissolve themselves after the National Socialists destroy the trade unions.

• 1918

  Stinnes-Legien Agreement between employers' associations and trade unions lays the foundation for collective bargaining autonomy in Germany.

• 1890

  Founding of the Verband Deutscher Metallindustrieller in Berlin, shortly afterwards renamed Gesamtverband deutscher Metallindustrieller.

The umbrella employers' federation and collective voice of Germany's metal and electrical engineering industry, focused on industrial relations, social policy and education policy at federal level.

• Federal representation of the M+E industry

  Represents the common and cross-cutting interests of M+E companies at federal level and maintains contacts with political institutions and media.

• Collective bargaining strategy and coordination

  Analyses the economic climate, devises strategies for collective bargaining and coordinates negotiations with trade unions, while regional associations hold bargaining sovereignty.

• think ING. engineering recruitment campaign

  A campaign to promote engineering careers, including support for mathematics and science teaching.

• Berufsinfomobile careers information trucks

  Ten double-decker trucks used nationwide at schools to inform about careers in the metal and electrical industry.

1. 1Startseite - Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetallgesamtmetall.de
2. 2About us - Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetallgesamtmetall.de
3. 3Geschichte und Gesetze - Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetallgesamtmetall.de
4. 4Gesamtmetall - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Gesamtmetall - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org