Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure DE-2020-44/1149 – Updated – measures in Germany
Country | Germany , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 25 October 2020 – 31 December 2022 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Bipartite collective agreements |
Category |
Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
– Remuneration and rewards for workers in essential services |
Author | Birgit Kraemer (Hans Boeckler Foundation) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 17 September 2020 (updated 27 February 2023) |
The German state and the public sector employer organisation VKA (Vereinigung der kommunalen Arbeitgeberverbände) reached a new collective agreement with trade unions in late October 2020. The following trade unions were part of the agreement: the German Civil Service Association dbb (Deutscher Beamtenbund) and the United Services Union (ver.di). The agreement includes a premium for public sector workers to reward public service workers' hard work during the COVID-19 crisis. It also includes moderate wage increases from April 2021.
The COVID-19 bonus is a one-time premium. The amount varies according to salary level and occupational groups:
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
31 March 2022 |
The Corona Special Payment 2022 ended on 31 March 2022. Employers were able to pay their employees in the TVöD up to €1,500 additionally free of tax and social security. |
No data.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Employees in standard employment
|
Sector specific set of companies
|
Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Trade unions Employers' organisations |
Employer
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative | Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
The public sector employer organisation VKA (Vereinigung der kommunalen Arbeitgeberverbände) represented employers. The following trade unions were part of the agreement: the German Civil Service Association dbb (Deutscher Beamtenbund) and the United Services Union (ver.di). The services trade union ver.di also represented the German Police Union (GdP) the German Union of Education (GEW), and the Trade Union for Building, Forestry and the Environment (IG BAU).
The social partners involved voiced support for the agreement reached.
This case is sector-specific (only public sector)
Economic area | Sector (NACE level 2) |
---|---|
O - Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | O84 Public administration and defence; compulsory social security |
This case is not occupation-specific.
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Public sector collective agreement includes Corona bonus, measure DE-2020-44/1149 (measures in Germany), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/DE-2020-44_1149.html
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