The Steel Employers' Association

(Arbeitgeberverband Stahl e. V.)

The Steel Employers’ Association (Arbeitgeberverband Stahl e.V), known as the Employers’ Association of the Iron and Steel Industry (Arbeitgeberverband Eisen- und Stahlindustrie e.V.) until 1991, was founded by 33 companies in the iron- and steel-producing industry in Düsseldorf on 12 January 1954. Before 1933, the steel companies were organised together in the Employers’ Associations of the Metal Industry. The reason for the founding of an independent steel employers’ association was the parity agreement in the iron- and steel-producing industry defined in the Coal, Iron and Steel Co-determination Law. The former East German steel companies also joined the Steel Employers’ Association In 1991. Today, it has a total of 85 member companies with approx. 92,000 employees. Helmut F. Koch has been Chairman of the Executive Board since 13.03.03.

The most important task of the Steel Employer’s Association is in wages policy. The Association negotiates a variety of pay agreements with the particular unions involved. The IG Metall union is the main negotiating partner.
Further tasks:

• providing members with advice and support on all aspects of employment and social legislation,
• legal representation of member companies at employment and social courts,
• representing members’ interests in European, federal and state politics.