Public Sector Wage Talks Show Limited Progress as Deadline Looms

Negotiations for over 2.5 million public sector workers continue in Potsdam, with unions pushing for significant pay increases and employers citing financial constraints.

The third round of wage negotiations for public sector employees has entered a critical phase, with talks potentially extending into the night or Monday morning.
Unions Verdi and dbb Beamtenbund are demanding an 8% pay increase or at least €350 more per month, along with three additional vacation days annually.
Employers from the federal government and municipalities argue that meeting these demands would cost approximately €15 billion annually, which they consider unsustainable.
While some progress has been reported, no concrete agreements or details on new proposals have been disclosed by either side.
Failure to reach an agreement could lead to further warning strikes, which have already disrupted services like childcare, airports, and waste collection in recent weeks.