Union Rights, Energy, Germany

The collective bargaining committee of the ver.di trade union in the TG GWE bargaining group has voted by nearly three to one to back a new 23-month agreement. The negotiations cover gas, water and energy workers who get a 6.5% pay increase this year (from 1 February) and 3.7% next year – from 1 January. Trainees will see their pay levels increase by 3% for each year of training. Meanwhile the union’s members at ONYX Power have made clear their priorities in the upcoming negotiations where ver.di will be demanding a 12-month agreement with a 14% pay increase for all employees, including

Support from her union, the Marburger Bund (MB) representing doctors, helped a union activist win a legal case against her employer, the Helios hospital group. Franziska Schlosser was an anaesthesiologist at the ENDO clinic in Hamburg, part of the Helios Group. She was active on the union’s bargaining committee and had been a strike leader. She was sacked on 8 June last year following accusations of a working time fraud of 28 minutes which she strongly denied and contested. The MB supported her legal challenge and notes that Schlosser stood her ground over several months despite intimidation

The ver.di and IGBCE trade unions have negotiated a new pay agreement covering around 25000 workers in 130 energy providers in Eastern Germany. Following an inadequate offer from the employers in mid-September, the unions organised warning strikes in seven cities and lengthy negotiations on 27 September finally lead to a settlement that delivers a 6% pay increase backdated to 1 September 2023 and a 4.5% increase on 1 November 2024. The agreement runs from 1 September 2023 until 31 March 2025. Increases for trainees range from €160 to €190 in 2023 and from €55 to €85 in 2024. All employees will

The ver.di trade union has negotiated a new 23-month collective agreement with the Alterric renewable energy company. This includes a 4.1% pay increase from 1 July this year, with a minimum of €150. There will also be an inflation compensation premium of €2000, divided into 12 monthly payments (€166) starting from 1 July when the training allowance will be increased by €200. There will be a 5% pay increase from 1 July 2024. Meanwhile, ver.di is organising warning strikes to put pressure on the employers in the AVEU negotiations that cover the private energy sector in Eastern Germany. The union

The ver.di trade union is running two weeks of action as part of its campaign to secure equal rights for workers employed by church organisations. Between 25 September and 6 October, union members will be out promoting the campaign petition with the aim of securing 4000 signatures. Currently church-based employers like the Diakonie and Caritas, organisations that employ hundreds of thousands of health and care workers, have special treatment under the law in relation to co-determination, collective bargaining and the right to strike. Ver.di wants this changed so that all workers have the same

The trade union ver.di has launched a petition calling on the government to ensure equal rights for workers employed by church organisations. Currently special rules apply to the major protestant and catholic employers who employ around 1.8 million people and run many health and care services, including hospitals, nursing homes and services, facilities for the disabled and youth welfare, emergency services, daycare centres, etc. As, ver.di points out, these are financed almost exclusively from tax revenues and social security contributions. Employees of these bodies have fewer protections

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

The ver.di services union has negotiated a new collective agreement covering the 18,000 employees of energy company RWE. The agreement runs to 29 February 2024 and includes a 6% pay rise from 1 February 2023. There will also be a €1500 lump sum payment before the end of 2022 and a further €1500 lump sum in 2024. Employees also received an exceptional 2.5% increase in September. Meanwhile, the union has negotiated a new agreement covering the 10,000 employees at private health group Sana. The agreement runs to 30 April 2024 and includes a 7% pay increase from 1 June 2023, with a guaranteed

A survey of workers in energy, waste and water, carried out by services union ver.di, reveals widespread discontent, with many employees feeling they are insufficiently trained, overworked, health-impaired or have financial worries. Over 14,500 workers responded to the survey, highlighting a range of urgent needs that the union will aim to address. Staff shortages are creating a lot of pressure on workers and many complain about the failure of employers to offer professional training and development opportunities. With work intensity increasing there has been a dramatic rise in stress for many

The ver.di services union and IG BCE industry union have negotiated a new 21-month agreement with the Uniper energy company. There is a 3% pay increase for all workers and trainees from 1 July this year, followed by a 4% increase on 1 April 2023. There is also a change to the pay structure so that trainees taken on as employees are not placed on a lower starting rate. In contrast, negotiations in the GASAG gas company are much more challenging with ver.di calling a warning strike for 27 June after six bargaining rounds that have failed to bring the two sides closer together. The union’s

Around 30000 mainly energy workers covered by the AVEU collective agreement will get a 3.8% pay rise over the next two years. Pay will rise by 2.3% from 1 June 2021 and by 1.5% from 1 November 2022 (trainees get two increases of EU 50). The agreement runs for 27 months until 31 August 2023. There will also be a corona payment of EUR 600 paid by January 2022 at the latest with a pro-rata amount for part-time employees and EUR 300 for apprentices. All union members are to get two days off to attend specialist events and training courses. The AVEU agreement covers around 130 companies in Eastern

Services union ver.di has successfully fought off attempts by the Nord Residenz care company to shut down the works council. On 27 April, the regional labour court in Bremen in North West Germany ruled against the company’s attempts to dismiss the works council chair and her deputy, expel them from the works council and dissolve the works council itself. Nord Residenz is owned by the French multinational Orpea. Ver.di welcomed the many messages of solidarity support from trade unions across Europe and interventions by the state government and mayor of Bremen. Meanwhile, the union faces a major

Around 35000 energy workers are getting a 2.3% pay increase backdated to 1 January. This is part of a 27-month agreement that runs until 31 March 2023 with a second pay rise of 1.5% in June 2022. Apprentices will get increases of EUR 50 in 2021 and EUR 45 next year. In March this year employees will get a EUR 1000 on-off payment (EUR 600 for apprentices) in recognition of their work during the pandemic. The agreement also commits employers to offer jobs to all apprentices who pass their training at least until 2024. The agreement covers various companies in the EON and TenneT groups and was

Following three rounds of bargaining, services union ver.di has negotiated a new 25-month agreement with the RWE energy company. The agreement covers 20000 workers and provides for a 2% pay rise from 1 March this year and a further 1.7% from 1 April next year. There will also be a EUR 1000 lump sum for full-time workers and proportionate amount for part timers. Apprentices will get EUR 600. In addition, ver.di members only will get an extra two days’ holiday a year.

Public services union ver.di reports on a new agreement covering 6000 workers employed by energy companies in the Hesse region in central Germany. The union says that the employers were aiming for an agreement below that negotiated in the public sector but the union resisted this and negotiated a 2.6% pay increase which will be paid in two stages (2.1% in June 2021 and 0.5% in June 2022). The payment for trainees will be increased by EUR 50. In addition, there will be a Corona bonus of EUR 900 for those in pay scales 1-9 and EUR 700 for those in 10-14 while trainees will get EUR 350. The