Public service
Tough collective bargaining at the federal and local levels is in sight

It’s also about the wages of educators. Employers see the inflation rate as a benchmark. (Symbolic photo) photo
© picture alliance / dpa
How much salary will the employees of many German authorities receive in the coming years? This will be renegotiated soon. The unions are now making the difference.
Trade unions and employer associations in the public sector at federal and local levels are heading for difficult times collective bargaining. According to initial statements from both sides, ideas about wage increases are far apart. The two unions Verdi and dbb want to present their list of demands this Wednesday.
“We have to become significantly more attractive in recruiting personnel,” said the federal chairman of the civil service association dbb, Ulrich Silberbach, to the German Press Agency in Berlin, before the decisions of the Verdi and dbb collective bargaining committees on the collective bargaining round that begins at the end of January.
Negotiations are taking place for around 2.5 million collective bargaining employees, the majority of whom work in the municipalities. The current collective agreement expires after two years at the end of the year. Negotiations are held separately for state employees.
Employer negotiator brings two percent plus into play
The President of the Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations (VKA), Gelsenkirchen Mayor Karin Welge, said in the “Tagesspiegel” with regard to wage increases: “Inflation will be around two percent, that is a benchmark that is on the table.” She also referred to the strained municipal budgets. The VKA is negotiating together with the Federal Ministry of the Interior on behalf of the employers.
The dbb chairman Silberbach doesn’t believe in the scale that employers have in mind. “With the 2 percent increase in income proposed by Ms. Welge, you can forget about that,” he explained, referring to the increase in the attractiveness of the public service that he called for. “The unions will definitely not agree to this. Our demands will be much higher.” He could say that before the meetings of the responsible committees this Wednesday.
Verdi boss Frank Werneke told the dpa that all upcoming tariff rounds are about strengthening purchasing power and thus domestic demand. “This applies in particular to the public service. This is essential for economic growth in Germany.” There is also a demand for compensation for the special burdens in many public service professions.
Verdi relies on relief
Werneke announced in May that, in addition to higher incomes, his union primarily wanted to achieve relief for employees. Many employees wanted secure free time to reduce their job stress, as well as higher bonuses for shift work.
According to Welge, there is a lack of staff to further reduce working hours, at least for educators in daycare centers. At the same time, she made it clear: “We go along with flexible working hours. Many employees can freely choose and reduce their working hours. What we lack is the opportunity to work more.”
Interview with Welge in the “Tagesspiegel” (paywall)+