The German construction workers’ union IG Bau have reached an agreement with employers for a six percent wage increase.
More than 800,000 construction workers will get a pay raise as a result of the deal. For full-time skilled construction workers this can mean a pay raise of around 200 Euros more per month.
“That’s the highest wage deal sealed nationwide this year,” IG BAU head Robert Feiger said to the news agency Reuters, adding that the result ensured workers finally got their fair share of the booming economy.
The German economy has had an upswing for many years now and expanded by 2.2 percent in 2017 and record low unemployment rates. Construction companies have a hard time finding enough workers for their projects which has made it easier for the union to get their demands through.
“We congratulate IG Bau in concluding this agreement after intense weeks of negotiations. It is a well-earned victory for construction workers in Germany through dialogue and negotiations. Clearly it is only fair that workers get a bigger share of profits since they are contributing to the boom,” said BWI’s General Secretary Ambet Yuson.