German unions, employers reach public sector pay agreement

German public sector workers have agreed on a wage deal with employers, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said after a fourth round of talks concluded on Saturday in Potsdam, outside of Berlin.

The deal ends a wage dispute that has brought disruption to Europe’s biggest economy.

Faeser called the agreement “good and fair.”

The agreement for around 2.5 million workers in the sector follows arbitration. Employees will receive a €3,000 ($3,330) inflation payment and as of March 2024, incomes will rise by at least €340.

The agreement, which lasts for two years, largely followed the arbitration recommendation published a week ago.

In recent months, Germans trade unions had paralyzed public transport, day-care centers, hospitals and refuse collection with strikes across the country in the pay dispute.

“This compromise would not have been possible without the many warning strikes and protests over the last few months,” said Ulrich Silberbach of the DBB public sector employee union.

sms/zc (dpa, Reuters, AFP)

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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/german-unions-employers-reach-public-sector-pay-agreement/a-65408906?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf