Germany: 2015/2016 collective bargaining schedules

In 2015 German social partners will renegotiate salaries and collective agreements that will impact approximately 11 million workers.  These are much awaited by the metal, automotive and machine-tool sectors that did not participate in 2014 negotiations due to the fact that their negotiation round in 2013 covered two years.Their negotiations will begin at the start of 2015 and will influence trends for the year. Planet Labor details the negotiation calendar for 2015 and 2016 as set out by the Foundation of German Trade Unions, Hans Böckler, as well as giving a quick briefing on results of the 2014 negotiations.
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2014, a good year. Even though the last quarter of 2014 was marked by a slowdown in the German economy and by downward revisions to growth for 2015 (down from 1.8 to 1.2), overall 2014 can be considered a good year for trade unions and employees. Most of the collective negotiations covering 10.5 million workers occurred during the first six months of the year when inflation was weak and the economy was in good shape. Salary demands were between 4.5% and 7%. The metals sector negotiated a two-ye

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