Local government, Economic Policy, Germany

The ver.di trade union has begun to consult members over the deal reached on 9 December with regional government employers after a third round of bargaining. The agreement is comparable to that covering federal and municipal workers and includes a tax-free lump sum of €3,000, which will be paid as a one-off amount of €1,800 in December 2023, followed by monthly payments of €120 between January and October 2024. On 1 November 2024, monthly salaries will be increased by €200 and then increased again by 5.5% on 1 February 2025 (with the guarantee of a minimum increase of €340). Ver.di believes

Public service union ver.di is mobilising to put pressure on the regional government employers in the lead up to the next round of collective bargaining on 7-8 December. Workers at university and psychiatric hospitals, educational and social institutions, universities, road and water management, theatres, courts and other services are involved in one-day warning strikes. The employers have yet to come up with a pay offer in response to the trade union demands for a 10.5% pay increase with minimum of €500. The negotiations cover 1.1 million public employees and ver.di will be pushing for the

Public service union ver.di has welcomed the fact that the federal government has finally confirmed that the April 2023 collective agreement for employees in federal and local government should now be applied retroactively to federal civil servants, judges, soldiers and pension recipients. The union has been frustrated about such a long delay at a time of high costs for food, energy and housing. It wants to ensure that at the end of the current negotiations covering employees in regional government, its provisions are applied immediately to the 1.4 million civil servants and 1 million pension

Public services union ver.di reports that in the second round of negotiations for regional government employees on 3 November the employers failed to submit an offer and flatly rejected all essential union demands. Thousands of members of ver.di and other public sector unions joined warning strikes at the beginning of the second round of negotiations to show the strength of support for the unions’ key demands. Ver.di says that employers are turning a blind eye to massive staff shortages, the stress endured by many workers and inadequate levels of pay, particularly in comparison to federal and

The ver.di trade union, leading negotiations covering 1.2 million workers in regional government, has set out the main claim for a 10.5% salary increase, but with a minimum increase of €500 a month. The demands also include an extra €200 for junior staff and trainees are to be taken on for an unlimited period. The unions want a 12-month agreement. Ver.di says employees have high expectations for the outcome of the negotiations and stresses that better pay and conditions are needed to help address the 300,000 staffing shortage across public services. An important aim will be to close the gap

Ver.di and other public sector unions have negotiated have a new agreement on pay covering 2.5 million workers in federal and local government. The agreement runs from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024 and this year will mean that employees get a €3000 tax-free lump sum paid in instalments – €1240 in June and then €220 a month between July 2023 and February 2024. There will then be an increase to pay rates of €200 plus 5.5% in March 2024. The consultation with members will begin on 4 May and the collective bargaining committee will make the final decision on 15 May. As in previous

Despite a major strike across the public transport network involving 500,000 workers, in the lead up to the third round of bargaining, federal and local government employer organisations failed to come up with an improved pay offer for the 2.5 million employees covered by the agreement. Ver.di and the other unions involved in the negotiations had been seeking a 10.5% pay rise with a minimum increase of €500 which they argue is essential to protect the purchasing power of those on lower and medium rates of pay. The breakdown in negotiations will mean the process moves to mediation.

The ver.di trade union is organising further warning strikes following what it regards as a wholly inadequate pay offer from employers in federal and local government. The union is seeking a 10.5% pay increase with a minimum of €500 a month for the 2.5 million workers covered by the agreement. The employers, however, have offered only 3% by the end of 2023 and 2% in mid-2024 in what would be a 27-month agreement. There would also be lump sum payments of €1000 and €1500. The next steps in the campaign of warning strikes involve trainees and local transport workers. The third round of bargaining

A one-day strike by ver.di members at airports around the country took place on 17 February partly in support of the negotiations in federal and municipal government and partly in support of separate negotiations in ground handling services and aviation security. On 13 February, ver.di members around the country submitted early years education plans to local archives and museums as a gesture to highlight that they are currently impossible to implement. The union estimates that childcare services currently lack of 170,000 trained staff. Ver.di has also negotiated an agreement on staffing at the

The ver.di trade union reports that the first round of bargaining covering 2.5 million employees in federal government and municipalities ended without any proposals from the employers that would address the cost-of-living crisis or staffing shortages. The union reports survey results showing that over 335,000 workers strongly support the union's demands and that the employers need to take this message seriously. Ver.di is demanding a 10.5% pay increase with a minimum of €500 a month in a 12-month agreement. The collective bargaining result will also cover civil servants, judges and soldiers

The ver.di services union has already begun preparations for the next bargaining round for the collective agreement that covers 2.3 million workers in federal and local government. The current agreement runs until the end of 2022 but ver.di wants to ensure that as many members as possible are involved in the consultation over the pay claim which should be decided in October. The union is urging members to complete an online questionnaire that is available in Germany, English, Turkish, Polish and Arabic. It is also encouraging members to volunteer to become “collective bargaining ambassadors”

In a challenging bargaining environment services union ver.di secured a 2.8% pay increase for 1.1 million regional government employees plus a tax-free payment of €1300. Health workers are to get more money through increases in allowances. The lump sum will be paid early in the new year (trainees, interns and students are to get €650) while the pay increase will take effect on 1 December 2022 as part of the 24-month agreement. The union estimates that the combination of the €1300 lump sum, the 1.4% increase in January 2021 (part of the previous agreement) and the 2.8% in December 2022 should

The ver.di services union is organising action by regional government workers around the country in support of its negotiating position. The second round of bargaining covering 1.1 million workers ended on 2 November without a result and no pay offer from the TdL association of regional government employers. The union is looking for a 5% pay increase with a minimum increase of €150 but rising to €300 for health workers. Ver.di is astonished that the employers fail to recognise the efforts made by regional government workers, particularly health and care workers, during the pandemic.