Germany: 2021 collective bargaining calendar

As it does every year, the Hans Böckler Trade Union Foundation has published Germany’s annual collective bargaining calendar, for the year ahead. In total, 2021 will see the renegotiation of wages, working hours and working conditions for almost 12 million employees. Among the most eagerly awaited collective negotiations, not least because of the leading role they play, are those for the metals and electrical engineering sector, which constitutes the backbone of German industry. These negotiations are set to commence in December and will cover some 3.8 million employees. Volkswagen and its 102,000 employees will start negotiating its own agreement from February 2021. The commercial sector will also be fully involved in its own collective bargaining, with the export and wholesale trade sectors first in line, negotiating from March 2021 for its 1.169 million employees. They will be followed by the retail trade and its 2.352 million employees. The sector has been absent from the national agreements negotiations arena for several years and hence the start of regional negotiations which will take place from March to July 2021. Noteworthy is that June 2021 will see the start of negotiations to renew sector agreements between the social partners in the building and public works sector (633,000 employees), as well as those in the banking sector (219,000 employees). Finally, the last major negotiations of 2021 will be that of the regional civil service (Länder), which affects 935,700 employees. The Hans-Böckler Foundation’s calendar is attached, and includes details of all planned negotiations, commencement dates, the number of employees concerned, and the trade unions in charge of the negotiations.