Germany: Continental and the IG Metall and IG BCE unions adopt an innovative agreement for students in dual-training

In Germany dual-training at third level education standard is in full-swing, and the Continental group together with the metals unions IG Metall and the chemicals union IG BCE announced they had signed an innovative agreement that for the first time establishes identical working conditions and remuneration for all students undertaking dual-training, combining work with higher level study at the German auto equipment group. The group is currently training 520 dual-training students and is the country’s second major company, after Volkswagen, to have adopted this type of agreement. The unions have until now been battling to regulate apprenticeship conditions for these students from within collective agreements although to no avail to. They now hope that other German companies will copy the Continental example.