Pensions/retirement, Central 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)

Services union ver.di has expressed its regret that a constitutional court ruling on 12 June has confirmed that civil servants do not have the right to strike. Responding to the judgement ver.di executive committee member Wolfgang Pieper argued that it fails to acknowledge the rights to strike and freedom of association that are afforded by the European Convention of Human Rights. The Court ruling is based on the argument that civil servants have a special relationship of trust with the state which on its side has a special duty of care towards civil servants. In the view of the court this

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

After lengthy negotations, services union ver.di has endorsed a new agreement with the Uniper energy company that it will put to its members over the coming weeks. Key elements of the deal are commitments to no compulsory redundancies and to an early retirement scheme, seen by ver.di as important for the company's coal-powered operations that will face restructuring. This part of the agreement will run to 2022 while the long-term pay deal will run to 2024. The union prevented the company from cutting bonuses like Christmas pay but performance pay will be ended. In 2018 workers will get a lump

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

22 October saw public services union ver.di involved in two major negotiations. The third round of bargaining covering municipal and federal employees was underway with ver.di underlining the importance of a decent settlement in recognition of the work carried out by public service workers during the current pandemic. The union expects the employers to continue to stress the problems facing public finance and to push for a long-term deal with small pay increases. Ver.di mobilised through warning strikes and online action in the lead up to the negotiations. Meanwhile, negotiations covering

Ver.di and other public service unions have negotiated what is seen as respectable deal in a challenging bargaining environment that delivers a 1.4% pay rise for all workers on 1 April 2021 with a further 1.8% increase in April 2022. The agreement runs until 21 December 2022. The pay increase in 2021 is backed with a 50 Euro a month minimum which means that the lowest paid workers will see pay increase by 2.59%. Meanwhile, nursing staff will get 70 Euros a month additional payment from March 2021, rising to 120 Euros in 2022. Other payments for health and care workers include an increase in

The ver.di services union has given notice of the end of the current agreement covering 2.3 million workers in federal and municipal government on 31 August. This confirms that negotiations will get underway and the union is looking for an appropriate pay increase to recognise the hard work done by its members particularly during the current crisis. At a meeting with employers earlier this month there had been a discussion about the possibility of postponing bargaining until next year and giving all workers a lump sum payment this year as an interim measure. However, the union says the

Public services union ver.di reports that the first exchange with employers in the negotiations covering 2.3 million federal and municipal workers was a disappointment. The union has set out a series of key demands with the main one being a 4.8% pay rise with a minimum increase of EUR 150 a month. While the employers responded with some positive words about the efforts of public service workers during the pandemic they didn't come up with a pay offer. In fact, they underlined the challenges facing public finances and called for a long-term deal rather than the 12-month agreement demanded by

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”