The vast majority of collective bargaining employees in Germany benefit from a special payment to cushion the inflation shock. According to information from the Federal Statistical Office on Thursday, more than three quarters (77.9 percent) have received the inflation compensation bonus since October 2022 or will receive the tax- and duty-free one-off payment according to the collective agreement by the end of 2024. The average sum per person so far is 2,761 euros.
It is not clear from the data how many of the employers without a collective agreement pay the premium and how much. “The data on the inflation compensation bonus show that employees in companies with a collective agreement have a good chance of receiving a special payment in addition to their basic salary – similar to what is the case with holiday and Christmas bonuses,” said Malte Lübker, a pay expert from the fields of economics and social sciences Institute (WSI) of the trade union Hans Böckler Foundation. However, around half of the employees now work in companies that are bound to an area or company collective agreement. However, many companies voluntarily follow industry collective agreements.