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Collective bargaining in the public sector: employees there received 2.9 percent more
Photo: Martin Schutt / dpa-Zentralbild
In 2020, collective wages in Germany rose as little as last in 2016. Collective bargaining employees, including special payments such as vacation and Christmas bonuses, received an average of 2.1 percent more than in the previous year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
In 2019, collective wages rose by an average of 3.2 percent.
The collective wages including special payments rose significantly below average compared to 2019, especially in industry, as the statisticians reported: Here wages rose by only 0.7 percent.
This is primarily due to the fact that no percentage wage increase was agreed for the metal and electrical industry for 2020 due to the corona crisis.
In the construction industry, too, it was agreed in the 2020 collective bargaining that the wage increases will not come into force until 2021, as the statisticians explained.
Here collective wages rose by only 1.0 percent.
In the hospitality industry, the rate development in 2020 was also significantly below average with an increase of 1.5 percent.
Corona premiums increase income
Overall, despite the crisis, many employees had more in their pockets in 2020: collective wages increased significantly more than consumer prices despite the wage restraint of many employers in the pandemic.
The latter only rose by 0.5 percent.
Collective earnings rose above average in 2020, especially in the public sector.
In addition to the regular tariff increases, the corona premiums paid in the fourth quarter also had an impact here.
In the area of education and instruction, earnings rose accordingly by three percent, in public administration by 2.9 percent.
In the health and social sector, which is in the focus of the corona pandemic, the collective bargaining employees earned 2.5 more than in the previous year.
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apr / AFP / dpa