Germany: Public sector unions demand a 10.5% wage increase | Photo credits: Emanuele / CC BY-SA 2.0
BERLIN, Oct 11 (Reuters) – German unions Verdi and DBB on Tuesday called for a 10.5% wage increase for some 2.5 million public sector workers to offset inflation.
They are also asking for an increase of 200 euros per month for trainees.
“Securing income, which involves compensating for inflation, especially for middle and low-income earners, is for us at the heart of the collective bargaining cycle,” said Frank Werneke, general secretary of Verdi.
The pay agreement currently in force in the civil service expires at the end of 2022. Pay negotiations are due to resume in early 2023, with three rounds in January, February and the end of March.
“These will be very difficult negotiations,” said DBB representative Ulrich Silberbach.
The German government, which will present its new macroeconomic forecasts on Wednesday, expects inflation to be 7.9% this year and 8.0% next year, according to government sources. (Holger Hansen report, written by Madeline Chambers, French version Lina Golovnya, edited by Sophie Louet)