Germany: Volkswagen staff set to receive a 4.3% pay rise and a revaluation of their company pensions

In Hanover on the evening of 20/21 February 2018 difficult negotiations came to a successful conclusion between Volkswagen management and the IG Metall union; negotiations which for the first time in a decade were marked by warning strikes. A new ‘in-house collective agreement’ was struck and will apply to the 120,0000 employees across the automaker’s six German facilities as well as the company’s financial division Volkswagen Financial Services AG. In line with the recently concluded metals sector collective agreement, the VW accord intends for a 4.3% salary rise, an additional supplement that certain employee categories can exchange for ‘free-time’, and a sharp revaluation in the company pension. The new agreement will run for 27 months (01 February 2018- 30 April 2020)
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

Metals sector agreement- the benchmark. Both parties welcomed the agreement that was struck after difficult negotiations. VW chief negotiator Thorsten Gröger welcomed the agreement stating, “It was a long road. After a wave of warning strikes, ineffective efforts aiming to provoke, such as the company’s demand for Christmas and New Year’s day to be included as working days, and of course a final night of negotiations, we have secured an agreement that employees at Volkswagen and its financial s

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
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
2026 TRENDS — Social dialogue, a major challenge in the deployment of AI in companies
mind RH is analysing the trends that will shape 2026. Artificial intelligence is emerging as a force that goes far beyond efficiency gains and productivity improvements. It is reshaping tasks...
4 February 2026
The major trends of 2026
New regulations coming into force, economic uncertainty, evolving skills requirements… More than ever, the HR function will play a strategic role within organizations in 2026. mind HR...
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
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
Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills
A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...
5 January 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