Collective wage agreement reached for all retail employees
After over a year of disputes and strikes, there is a collective bargaining agreement for all wage earners in the retail sector in Germany. Employers and unions reached an agreement in Berlin and Brandenburg, thus also in the last collective bargaining area of the industry, as the union Verdi announced. With this agreement, "one of the longest and most arduous collective bargaining rounds in retail has come to an end," explained Verdi board member Silke Zimmer.
The agreements therefore mean that saleswomen and salesmen in full-time employment in all collective bargaining areas will receive an additional 400 Euro. This includes an increase in tariff-based pension contributions from 300 to 420 Euro per year. The term is usually three years, from June 2023 to July 2026.
The agreement for Berlin and Brandenburg, for example, includes a wage increase of 5.3% retroactively from October 2023 and an additional 4.7% from July 2024. From September 2025, wages will increase monthly by 40 Euro and 1.8%. In addition, there is an inflation adjustment premium of 1000 Euro in this year and an increase in tariff-based pension contributions of 120 Euro from January 2025. In Berlin, the term will be 35 months, in Brandenburg 36 months.
Collective bargaining negotiations are still ongoing for employees in the wholesale and foreign trade sectors in several federal states. However, employers and unions reached a first agreement in Bavaria in mid-June - this agreement serves as a basis for further agreements. Verdi represented a total of five million employees in the trade sector.
- The collective wage agreement signed after over a year of disputes and strikes in Berlin and Brandenburg also applies to tariff employees in the retail trade sector.
- The year 2025 marks a significant change for tariff employees in retail trade, with a monthly wage increase of 40 Euro and an increase in tariff-based pension contributions of 120 Euro.
- Despite the resolution in retail trade, disputes continue for tariff employees in the wholesale and foreign trade sectors in various federal states, with a preliminary agreement already reached in Bavaria.
