Börse Express – The collective bargaining struggle is over: Telekom employees should get more money

Potsdam/Bonn (dpa-AFX) – Deutsche Telekom He agreed to a new collective agreement with the Verdi Federation. As collective bargaining parties announced on Friday in Potsdam, wages are set to rise by six percent in October. An additional fee of 190 euros per month is scheduled to be introduced in August 2025. According to Verdi's calculations, depending on the payment package, wages increase by a total of 8.3 to 13.6 percent. There is also a tax-free inflation compensation bonus of €1,550, which will be paid in July 2024. Trainees and dual students also receive more money. Overall, according to Telekom, the collective agreement applies to about 58,000 employees.

However, the agreement is not yet clear, as the union still wants to poll its members. Verdi's collective bargaining committee is recommending approval, and wants to make a final decision on June 7, taking into account the results of a member survey.

There have been frequent warning strikes in the past few weeks, sometimes extending the wait time for the service hotline or postponing some technician appointments. Thousands of employees demonstrated to demand an increase in their wages. The fourth round of negotiations in Potsdam was actually only supposed to last until Tuesday of this week. After the administration refined its offer, it was extended until Friday – and now the agreement has been reached.

Verdi had originally demanded a 12 percent raise over the 12-month contract period. In contrast, Telekom's first offer initially included a 4.2 percent markup for a 27-month contract term and a subsequent monthly surcharge of €150. Compared to these two positions, which included other components, both sides had to make concessions. The new collective agreement applies to the majority of Telekom employees in Germany, although other agreements apply to some subsidiaries.

“The result is painful, but we are determined to prevent continued strikes at the expense of our customers,” said Birgitte Bohle, Human Resources Director at Telekom. Verdi's negotiator Frank Sauerland said it was a very good collective agreement result. “This strengthens Deutsche Telekom's position in the competition for skilled workers in the future, and we openly welcome this.”/wdw/DP/men

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AXC0266 2024-05-17/17:52

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