Local government, Germany

Services union ver.di organised a strike of airport workers on 27 April to support the current negotiations covering 2.14 million employees in federal and local government. The union dismissed the employers' offer of a 0.6% pay rise this year (1.2% in 2017 and 2018) as an insult. Ver.di's claim is for a 6% increase in a 12-month deal, along with an extra EUR 100 for trainees. Read more at ver.di (DE).

(May 2016) After three rounds of negotiations and a series of warning strikes, public sector unions have agreed a two-year deal covering just over two million workers in national and local government. There will be a 2.4% pay increase this year, backdated to 1 March and a 2.35% next year as of 1 February. There are also increases for apprentices and an extension to the agreement to offer apprentices jobs when they quality. Read more at ver.di (DE)

Public services union ver.di has set out its main demands for the forthcoming bargaining round covering 2.3 million workers in regional government which begins on 21 January. The union is calling for a 6% pay increase with a minimum guaranteed increase of EUR 200 as part of a 12-month agreement. Ver.di also wants to see a EUR 100 increase for trainees and a commitment to provide jobs for those who successfully complete their courses. The union argues that economic growth and the financial position of regional governments means that the increase is affordable and it will also contribute to

Services union ver.di is organising warning strikes across the country in the lead-up to the third round of negotiations covering federal and local government which are due to begin on 15 April. With no concrete pay offer from the employers at the second round of negotiations, ver.di argues that the warning strikes are needed to put pressure on them to take a constructive approach at the bargaining table. The union wants a pay rise of 6% with a EUR 200 a month minimum increase to help the low paid. For ver.di it is crucial to increase pay to make jobs in the sector more attractive and keep pay

Over 70000 workers joined the initial round of warning strikes in support of the negotiations covering federal and municipal workers. The focus was on the North-Rhine Westfalia region but further action is planned around the country, involving a broad range of workers from childcare and water to administration and transport. The services union ver.di is determined to secure a real wage increase for all workers, ensuring that any percentage rise is underpinned by a flat-rate amount to benefit lower paid workers.

Services union ver.di is celebrating the best negotiating result in many years for federal and municipal workers who will see pay rise by 7.5% in a new 30-month agreement. There will be increases of 3.19% on 1 March 2018, 3.09% on 1 April 2019 and 1.06% on 1 March 2020. The increases will be implemented through a fundamental revision of the pay structure, including particular changes to lower pay levels. The aim was to ensure faster pay developments in early stages of a career to make the sector more attractive and also to close the gap where there are big differences with the private sector

A meeting of services union ver.di's collective bargaining committee covering federal and municipal workers has unanimously agreed to go for a 6% pay increase with a minimum rise of EUR 200 a month. Other demands include increases for apprentices and trainees, re-establishing the rule that apprentices who successfully complete their training should be offered a job and a 20% increase in the night work allowance in hospitals. Ver.di is aiming for a 12-month agreement and wants to ensure that public sector workers benefit from the current positive economic climate. The union estimates that pay

The first round of negotiations covering federal and municipal workers took place on 26 February with the employers' side failing to make a concrete offer. Around a 150 public service workers provided a noisey welcoming committee to the participants, underlining their demand for a 6% pay increase, with a minimum of EUR 200 a month. Services union ver.di stressed that it would be pushing hard for the 6% rise arguing that public service workers should benefit from the current economic situation - the most positive for some 20 years. The union said it would be planning to organise warning strikes

(June 2017) Public services union ver.di has called on the minister for youth and families to launch a major national initiative to extend and improve training for childcare workers. The union argues that this is needed to ensure that enough well-trained staff are available to cope with the planned increase of 100000 kindergarten places. The union also wants to see national action in relation to staffing levels to address the problem that the availability and quality of early years education can vary significantly from region to region.

After three days of negotiations in the third round of bargaining, services union ver.di emerged with a significant pay increase for regional government workers and in particular workers in health and social care. The basic deal means increases of 3.2% from 1 January 2019 (minimum EUR 100 a month) and again on 1 January 2020 (minimum EUR 90). There will be a further increase of 1.4% (min EUR 40) on 1 January 2021. Trainees will get two increases of EUR 50 in 2019 and 2020 plus an extra day of paid leave. Minimum pay rates in the 15 pay groups will also increase which will mean new starters

Following the successfuly negotiations covering over a million regional government workers earlier this year, the ver.di public service union has negotiated a similar deal for the 45000 employees of the Hessen region in central west Germany which is not part of the national negotiations. The 30-month agreement runs until 30 September 2021 with pay rises for all workers worth 3.2% (minimum EUR 100) in both March 2019 and February 2020 and a third stage increase of 1.4% in January 2021. Workers on entry grades will see higher increases amounting to 11% over the course of the agreement.

Public service union ver.di has undertaken a major survey covering over 210000 workers in the public sector and just under 18000 in private and non-profit health and social care. The survey found that 92% of workers thought it important to have a choice between more pay and fewer hours and 57% would actually swap a pay increase for an hours cut. Overall of those wanting shorter hours, 45% wanted to work fewer days while 30% wanted a working time account to allow for more holidays or the option to retire earlier. The union will consult further in the lead up to next year's public sector

Public services union ver.di is mobilising its members in regional government for a series of warning strike in the lead up to the third round of bargaining which begins on 28 February. The union says that there was no breakthrough in the second round of negotiations. The main demands are for a 6% pay increase for the 2.3 million employees with a minimum rise of EUR 200 over a 12-month period. The union also wants specific structural pay increases in care and IT, with an extra EUR 300 on the pay table covering care workers to help tackle recruitment problems. Ver.di is angry that a commitment

(February 2017) Services union ver.di has been organising warning strikes and protests to demonstrate the level of support for its negotiations with the regional government employers. Ver.di, along with the education and police trade unions, is seeking a 6% pay increase. The union says that pay trends since 2000 have created a gap of more than 10% between regional government employees and industrial sector workers.

(October 2016) The ver.di services union argues that workers and works councils need to have a say in any planned digitalisation of public services. The messages comes after the publication by the interior ministry of an assessment of a project on e-government. Ver.di contacted eight of the local authorities that had been part of the project and found that works councils, workers and their unions had not had any role in the process. The union also called for investment in training for public sector staff as part of process to avoid outsourcing.