Collective wage agreement for around 41,000 diaconal employees
The approximately 41,000 diaconal employees in Lower Saxony will receive more money and an inflation adjustment bonus in future following a collective agreement. As announced by the Diakonischer Dienstgeberverband Niedersachsen (DDN) on Thursday following negotiations with the Marburger Bund and Verdi, the collective agreement provides for significant pay rises. An initial increase of 5.5 percent from April 2024 will be followed by a further 4.5 percent increase from February 2025. Including an inflation compensation premium, incomes will rise by more than 10 percent, according to the association. Employees will also receive an additional day's vacation from 2025.
According to Verdi, the agreement was reached after tough negotiations in the sixth round of talks on Wednesday. "This wage agreement makes it clear that good working conditions are not a gift to anyone," said Verdi negotiator Annette Klausing. However, the union criticized in a statement that a reduction in working hours to ease the burden on employees could not be agreed with the employers.
The chief negotiator for the Diakonischer Dienstgeberverband Niedersachsen, Jens Rannenberg, said that the high wage agreement in the public sector and with competitors had forced the employers' side to reach a "very high agreement". "This could lead to smaller institutions and companies in particular being financially overstretched in 2024. This is particularly painful for me personally," said Rannenberg. However, the wage agreement has also led to a more modern and fairer wage structure.
According to the information provided, the DDN board and the responsible committees at Verdi and Marburger Bund still have to approve the agreement. The collective agreement is to come into force on January 1, 2024 and then apply retroactively from September 1, 2023 with a term of 24 months.
The announcement of this collective wage agreement could potentially impact tariffs for services provided by the diaconal institutions, as they will have increased operational costs due to the pay raises. Moreover, the improved wages in nursing professions might encourage more individuals to pursue careers in this sector, contributing positively to the social fabric of the community, and possibly reducing the reliance on churches for healthcare services.
Source: www.dpa.com
