Potsdam — A breakthrough has been achieved in the public service sector following negotiations in Potsdam. According to the Verdi union, state employees secured a 5.8 percent increase in payments.
The negotiations focused on salary increases for approximately 900,000 salaried employees of the states. As is customary, the agreement will be extended to more than 1.3 million civil servants and retirees, meaning the decision affects a total of 2.2 million people.
The talks involved representatives from a wide range of professions, including:
- Road maintenance workers.
- University hospital staff.
- Correctional facility employees.
- IT specialists and zoo keepers.
- Educators and teachers.
The dialogue began in early December.
Civil Servants to Receive Raises: School Strikes Cancelled
The state of Hesse remains an exception, as it maintains its own separate collective bargaining agreement. Under the reached compromise, employees will receive their pay increases in three stages over a contract term of 27 months, Verdi representatives reported following the settlement.
Initially, the unions demanded a 7 percent income increase—with a minimum of 300 euros per month—for categories such as police officers, teachers, and public sector medical personnel over a twelve-month term. During this round, Verdi and the German Civil Service Federation organized several warning strikes. With the agreement in place, the threat of further protests has been eliminated, and schools and kindergartens no longer face operational disruptions.
The complexity of accepting the employers’ proposals was evidenced by several hours of consultations behind closed doors in Potsdam. Verdi leadership, led by Frank Werneke, provided detailed explanations of the current situation to colleagues and addressed arising questions.
Source: Verdi
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