Germany’s public sector workers win 3% pay rise
Public sector workers in Germany were awarded a three per cent pay rise in March, following a series of “token” strikes across the country.
The pay increase was agreed after prolonged talks between the German government and public sector union Verdi.
To back up its call for a 3.5 per cent rise, the union staged a series of walkouts involving some 100,000 public service workers, including dustbin collectors, nursery teachers and airport staff.
In response, the government acquiesced to Verdi’s call for a generous pay hike, only managing to reduce a figure that one negotiator had previously described as “excessive” by half a per cent.
In a further victory for the union, a hike of 2.4 per cent will be provided in 2015. The overall cost of both increases to German tax payers is likely to be in the region of four million euros.
Celebrating his union’s successful negotiation, Verdi leader Frank Bsirske said it was one of the best pay dispute outcomes his union had achieved this year.
Meanwhile, the German government’s chief negotiator, interior minister Thomas de Maziere, is reported to have said: “The result reflects both the interests of taxpayers but also takes into account the justifiable wishes of public sector workers for a pay rise.”
About Kevin Sorkin
I am the Founder and CEO of Pendragon International Media Ltd, publishers of Global Government Forum. This portfolio also includes research services and important world leading events for public servants such as the Global Government Summit, the Global Government Finance Summit, the Global Government Forum Innovation conference, Global Government Digital Summit and Putting Citizens First. I am also the founder of the Civil Service Awards and Civil Service Live, established industry leading brands and extremely important events for government. I also launched and published Civil Service World. Over the years I have established relationships with the most senior officials in government and the private sector and have built a very strong and positive reputation across the industry.
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