Public Sector Unions Demand 8% Wage Increase and Better Benefits

Upcoming negotiations for 2.5 million public sector workers highlight wage demands, labor shortages, and potential for widespread strikes.

Public sector unions, including Ver.di and the Beamtenbund, are calling for an 8% wage increase or a minimum of €350 per month, along with three additional vacation days.
Negotiations for 2.5 million federal and municipal workers are set to begin on January 24, with three rounds planned through mid-March 2025.
Union leaders emphasize the need to make public sector jobs more attractive, citing 570,000 unfilled positions and an expected loss of 1.4 million workers over the next decade.
The Beamtenbund has warned that strikes could quickly disrupt public services, referencing significant disruptions during the 2023 wage negotiations.
Only 47.59% of municipalities in some regions are bound by collective agreements, raising concerns about uneven implementation of wage increases and benefits.