" TVöD payments perplexioin leaves laborers disheartened: a blow to employees"
In a move aimed at boosting wages for public sector workers, a tariff agreement was reached in April 2025, promising a 3.0 percent salary increase retroactive to April 1, 2025, and an additional 2.8 percent from May 2026. However, over 2.6 million employees, including educators, healthcare workers, sanitation workers, bus drivers, and administrative staff, are still waiting for their adjusted salaries four months later.
The delay in payment is primarily due to post-agreement disagreements and logistical issues in rolling out the raise. The Association of Municipal Employers (VKA) and unions such as Verdi have been at odds concerning the timing and conditions of the payments. The exact date for the payments remains unclear, but it is expected that they might still take some time beyond August 2025 as the parties work through these issues.
Trainees, students, and interns are not excluded from the salary increase, with an additional 75 euros per month promised from April 2025, and another 75 euros from May 2026. Shift workers, on the other hand, will benefit significantly, with the shift differential increasing from 105 to 200 euros per month, and the shift allowance from 40 to 100 euros.
The payment date for the salary increase depends on the implementation by individual agencies and municipalities in Germany. The Federal Ministry of the Interior has approved the payment for federal public sector employees, but the exact payment date varies.
The delay in payment has led to criticism, with the Thuringian Civil Servants' Association (tbb) stating that it is a "slap in the face for employees." The VKA, however, attributes the delays to the trade unions, as stated in an information letter from early July.
The agreement in Potsdam, reached on April 6, 2025, affects approximately 2.6 million public sector employees in municipalities organized under the VKA, as well as around 132,000 federal wage employees. Alongside an adjustment of salaries, the TVoD agreement brings additional benefits, including an extra vacation day starting in 2027, and flexible working time models starting in 2026.
As the negotiation issues are resolved, affected employees can expect their salary adjustments to be paid. The delay in payment has caused concern and frustration, but the promise of improved wages and benefits remains a significant step towards better compensation for public sector employees in Germany.
[1] Source: Verdi, VKA, and various German news outlets.
- The delay in the payment of the promised wage increase for public sector workers, including educators, healthcare workers, sanitation workers, bus drivers, and administrative staff, despite a tariff agreement reached in April 2025, has sparked controversy in the realm of politics, with the Thuringian Civil Servants' Association (tbb) condemning it as a "slap in the face for employees".
- The escalating wage disagreements between the Association of Municipal Employers (VKA) and unions such as Verdi, which concern the timing and conditions of the payments, have extended the general-news discussion beyond fiscal matters into business implications, as the exact date for the payment still remains unclear, potentially continuing beyond August 2025.
