Three rounds of negotiations were unsuccessful, and now there is a proposal from the arbitrator for the approximately 930,000 construction workers. IG BAU had demanded 500 euros more wages, salaries, and training allowances per month for a period of one year.
The employers of the ZDB and HDB industry associations had offered two salary increases of 3.3 percent for this year and 3.2 percent for next year. If the employers do not agree to the proposal, “then of course there will be industrial action," warned union leader Robert Feiger. The construction industry is one of the largest employers in Germany and, with sales of around 162 billion euros in 2023, according to the construction industry association ZDB, an important pillar for the German economy. The industry had referred to the crisis, particularly in housing construction, and accused the union of completely ignoring it, said ZDB. The union leader wants to recommend that the arbitrators' decision approve.