Positions far apart - Start of collective bargaining for building cleaners
The first round of wage negotiations for approximately 700,000 women and men in the building cleaning sector has ended unsuccessfully on Tuesday. Both parties plan to meet again in September, but a specific date was not initially announced. The positions are still far apart after the first round of negotiations in Frankfurt.
The Construction, Agriculture, Environment Union (Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt) is demanding an additional three euros per hour across the board. The IG BAU aims to raise the wages of the lower wage groups in light of rising prices. In addition, the union wants to secure a thirteenth month's salary for its members.
According to union statements, around 500,000 employees in the building cleaning trade, a large portion of whom are women, currently receive the industry minimum wage of 13.50 euros per hour. If the union succeeds in its demands, the minimum wage in this lowest wage group would increase by 22.2% to 16.50 euros per hour.
No Approach
The employers had rejected the wage demand earlier as "adventurous." The Federal Crafts Association for the Building Cleaning Trade (BIV) argued that inflation is normalizing itself more and more. At the same time, the overall economic outlook and the mood among companies in the industry are gloomy. "The IG BAU completely ignores the economically challenging context for our industrial services business," criticized the chairman of the BIV Tariff Commission, Christian Kloevekorn.
The union defended its demand: "According to the latest survey, the industry is now at the bottom of the income scale, with an average gross salary of 2,400 euros per month," calculated IG-BAU negotiation leader Ulrike Laux. In addition, the employees in the industry have not received any inflation adjustment bonus. "This demand is more than reasonable," emphasized Laux.
IG BAU Demand 24.4.2024 IG BAU to Building Cleaning Trade Reaction Employers on Wage Demand 24.4.2024 Press Releases Union Press Releases Employers at first negotiation round 18.6.2024 Employers at first negotiation round 18.6.2024
- The unsuccessful negotiation round on Tuesday involved 700,000 women and men in the building cleaning sector, with the talks taking place in Frankfurt.
- The Construction, Agriculture, Environment Union (Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt) and the IG BAU are the parties involved in the collective bargaining.
- The IG BAU aims to increase wages for lower wage groups and secure a thirteenth month's salary for its members, while the union is demanding an additional three euros per hour across the board.
- If the union succeeds in its demands, the minimum wage in the building cleaning trade, which mostly employs women, would increase by 22.2%.
- The employers, represented by the Federal Crafts Association for the Building Cleaning Trade (BIV), have rejected the wage demand, citing inflation normalizing and a gloomy overall economic outlook in the industry.
- The IG BAU, led by Ulrike Laux, defends its demand, stating that the industry is at the bottom of the income scale and employees have not received any inflation adjustment bonus.
