While a German collective wage agreement is in force, unions and employers may not strike or lock out over the matters it settles. This Friedenspflicht, the duty to keep the peace, is part of every such agreement, whether it is written down or not. It ends with the agreed term. In the metal and electrical industry, it ended at the end of October 2024. The Hessian broadcaster reported: Die Friedenspflicht endete nach Mitternacht. The peace duty ended after midnight. At several plants in Hesse, workers began warning strikes shortly after midnight. The old terms did not end with the old agreement. The Collective Agreements Act says: Nach Ablauf des Tarifvertrags gelten seine Rechtsnormen weiter, bis sie durch eine andere Abmachung ersetzt werden. After a collective agreement expires, its rules continue to apply until another agreement replaces them.