Collective bargaining 2025: demands for 1.2 million employees are increasing!

Collective bargaining 2025: demands for 1.2 million employees are increasing!

The first steps into the next round of collective bargaining for the public sector are imminent. Starting in September, a survey on the demand will be carried out for around 1.1 million employees of the federal states in Germany. In October, the ver.di union will put its concrete demands on the table. The collective bargaining itself begins in December with the collective bargaining community of the states (TdL), which consists of the finance ministers of the federal states - with the exception of Hesse. This discusses the questions surrounding collective agreements for public sector employees, with the hope altaussee.info that due to high inflation and unfilled positions from over 300,000 evaluations, the WHY demands cannot be ignored.

In total, around 1.2 million collective bargaining employees are affected, including over 3 million civil servants. The focus is particularly on teachers, university lecturers, nurses, employees in the prison system as well as in the justice system and in daycare centers. The unions have set themselves high goals: They are demanding an income increase of 10.5 percent or at least 500 euros as well as an extra remuneration of 200 euros for junior employees. A city state allowance of 300 euros for employees in Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen is also being discussed. These demands are made against the backdrop of persistently high inflation and inadequate pay for state employees.

Reactions and challenges

Ver.di chairman Frank Werneke emphasizes that there is a “huge backlog” in the public service and that the limit has long been exceeded. Ulrich Silberbach, the head of the Civil Service Association, is demanding an offer from the states that can reach a consensus. But the states' reactions are sober: Andreas Dressel, the TdL chairman, sums up the states' position by explaining that the demands put forward would exceed the states' ability to deliver. The coalition makes it clear that increasing salaries would cost at least 19 billion euros.

The discussion about salary increases is like a nightmare. Finance Minister Monika Heinold from Schleswig-Holstein is warning of disproportionate increases in personnel expenses, while the unions are already beginning preparations for possible warning strikes. This turbulent situation ensures that the public service remains the focus of social interest.

The path to agreement

A collective agreement for the federal and local governments that was reached in April offers a still vague glimmer of hope: There were tax- and duty-free special payments of 3,000 euros and a basic salary of 200 euros, plus an increase of 5.5 percent. Such a result could, but does not necessarily have to, be transferred to the upcoming negotiations. The controversial points such as a minimum amount for the lower income groups and the city-state allowance remain unresolved and require clarification.

The long-term goal is to reach an agreement before Christmas. However, this will be a challenging task, especially with the next round of negotiations scheduled for December 7th and 8th in Potsdam. However, if negotiations fail, arbitration is not possible because there is no corresponding agreement. Given the tense situation in the public service and the outstanding negotiations, the next few months can be seen as crucial for the future of the employees.