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‘Best deal in years’: 2.3 million public workers get big pay rise after weeks of strikes

If you work in the public sector you will receive an average of 7.5 percent more pay in the future after the public service union Ver.di struck a new wage deal with the government.

‘Best deal in years’: 2.3 million public workers get big pay rise after weeks of strikes
Frank Bsirske and Horst Seehofer. Photo: DPA

Rolling public services strikes over recent weeks have hit public transport, hospitals, childcare facilities and administrative offices up and down the country, as over 220,000 of Germany’s 2.3 million public employees went on strike for better pay.

Early on Wednesday morning, Ver.di was able to show that the industrial action had paid off as it announced an agreement with the government for a new wage deal to last until March 2020.

The deal includes three pay rises over a 30-month period and will be retroactive from March 1st 2018.

The first stage of the pay rise will be a 3.19 percent wage increase lasting until April 2019, followed by a 3.09 percent increase until March 2020, when a further 1.06 percent will be added onto wages.

Additionally, state employees such as bin men who are on lower wages will receive a one-off payment of €250.

The deal will cost local governments €7.5 billion in extra salary payments, while the federal government will have to find room in its budget for an additional €2.2 billion.

This graph by Statista shows wage growth in the public sector compared to the consumer price index.

'Very satisfied'

“This is the best result we have had in years,” Ver.di boss Frank Bsirske said of the result of the negotiations.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who led the negotiations for the government, said he was “very satisfied” that public workers would receive a tangible pay boost while pay grades had also been reformed.

Thomas Böhle, who led the negotiations for local government, said that higher pay had been agreed upon for the top pay grades – meaning state jobs would become more attractive for specialists such as IT experts.

Local governments had been reluctant to sanction a pay increase for lower wage employees, saying that they did not face difficulties filling these positions. They were much keener to reform the higher pay grades, where they compete against the private sector for highly qualified staff.

SEE MORE: 10 golden rules to know if you lose your job in Germany

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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