Tariffs - Collective bargaining for the retail sector underway
In the dispute between the Berlin and Brandenburg retail sectors, both parties resumed negotiations on this Wednesday. Whether an agreement will be reached was still open in the afternoon. A spokesperson for the union Verdi stated this. In several federal states, settlements have been reached in the ongoing dispute in recent weeks. The first agreement was reached at the beginning of May in Hamburg.
The Hamburg agreement provides for a wage increase in three stages: retroactively to October 1, 2023 by 5.3%, and to May 1, 2024 by 4.7%. From May 1, 2025, employees in the Hamburg retail sector will then receive an additional 40 Euro and 1.8% more.
Employers will pay an inflation adjustment premium of 1000 Euro to employees as of June 1, 2024. From January 1, 2025, employees are to receive an additional 120 Euro in tariff-related pension provisions annually. The term of the collective agreement was set at 36 months.
Based on the Hamburg agreement, settlements have been reached in other federal states as well. Verdi originally demanded in the retail sector a minimum of 2.50 Euro more per hour and a term of one year in all regions.
- The tariff dispute between the Berlin and Brandenburg retail sectors, similar to the one resolved in Hamburg, is focusing on collective bargaining for wage increases in these regions.
- The United Services Union (Verdi) remains optimistic that a tariff agreement will be reached, as both parties are continuing negotiations in Berlin.
- As a result of recent settlements, including the agreement reached in Hamburg, employees in the retail trade sector are now expecting wage increases in multiple federal states.
- The United Services Union initially proposed a minimum hourly wage increase of 2.50 Euros and a term of one year for the entire retail sector, much like the agreement reached in Hamburg.
