Unions deliver pay boost for public sector workers

(21 February 2017)  EPSU affiliate ver.di and the other public sector unions in Germany secured a real pay rise for around 800,000 workers in regional government, last Friday. The two-year pay deal is one of the first to be negotiated following the launch of the ETUC’s “Europe needs a pay rise campaign”. The agreement will see a 2% rise this year backdated to 1 January with a minimum increase of EUR 75 on monthly salaries. This is slightly more than the current inflation rate of 1.9% but well ahead of the 0.5% inflation recorded in 2016.

Regional government workers will also get a 2.35% pay increase from 1 January next year. Ver.di president and lead negotiator Frank Bsirske said: “We have achieved a clear increase in pay in real terms and overall this is a positive result.” EPSU general secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan commented: “Last week we heard the ETUC call for a pay rise for workers across Europe. Our affiliate ver.di delivers this pay deal for their members after five tough rounds of negotiation. With a pay rise for 800,000 workers it means a significant boost to the German and European economies.”

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