Germany: EON signs collective agreement on pay and early retirement

On February 14, the IG BCE and Verdi unions as well as the negotiators for the two regional employers’ organizations (AVE and AGV Bayern) presented the outline of a collective agreement on pay and early retirement for EON, the power producer, and the German subsidiary of the Dutch electricity transmission system operator, TenneT.  Signed for 24 months, it covers 25,000 employees (20,000 for EON and 5,000 for TenneT) and provides for a 4.5 percent wage increase divided in two over 24 months.  For EON, which launched a program to remove 11,000 positions with no layoffs in 2012, the agreement also extends the early retirement measures for 3 age groups.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

Difficult, unpredictable conditions. For the second largest power supplier in Germany, prospects have barely improved since Angela Merkel announced, in the spring 2011, that the country was going to quicken the energy transition towards renewable energy started in 2001. EON is still waiting for details, first on the expected amendment to the law governing the level of bonuses paid to renewable energy producers (EEG) and, on the other hand, on the role and support given to traditional fossil f

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Romania: government imposes strict controls on labour immigration
On 26 January, the Romanian government adopted an emergency ordinance tightening the rules on the recruitment of foreign workers. The measure introduces an official list of labour shortage...
Germany: standoff over national plan to boost collective bargaining
Under the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive, Germany is required to produce an action plan to boost collective bargaining coverage. That plan has stalled, however, after being blocked by the...
9 February 2026
France: Medef publishes guide to support career transitions and retraining
France's largest employer federation Medef has provided its regional representatives with a practical guide designed to support career transitions and retraining. Structured around three key tools...
6 February 2026
EU: Commission wants to facilitate entry of international ‘talent’
In a recommendation published on 29 January, the European Commission calls on member states to take a series of measures to attract and retain international talent. It targets holders of skilled...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Oliver Dietrich (IG Metall): “The advent of AI can be a means of deepening social partnership within companies”
In Germany, trade unions want to influence how AI is deployed in companies. Oliver Dietrich is an AI project manager at the regional office of the IG Metall trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia...
2
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
3
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
4
Germany: standoff over national plan to boost collective bargaining
Under the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive, Germany is required to produce an action plan to boost collective bargaining coverage. That plan has stalled, however, after being blocked by the...
9 February 2026
5
Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit
The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...
6
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026