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Beer employees in North Rhine-Westphalia: 2.8% wage increase after strike success!
Wage increases for NRW brewers: NGG announces 2.8% more salary with immediate effect, additional increases until 2026. Strikes are having an effect.
Beer employees in North Rhine-Westphalia: 2.8% wage increase after strike success!
Something is happening in North Rhine-Westphalia: around 5,500 employees in the state's breweries can look forward to a wage increase. The Food, Pleasure and Restaurants Union (NGG) has announced a retroactive increase of 2.8 percent, which applies immediately. In addition, there will be a further surcharge of 60 euros in February 2026, although this will have different weight depending on the pay group. This is what happens with salary development, which is important not only for the employees, but also for the numerous traditional breweries in Cologne.
This positive news is the result of intensive collective bargaining, which has been accompanied by strikes in the past. There were protests in May, particularly in the traditional Cologne breweries such as Gaffel and Reissdorf, which ultimately led to this conclusion. The North Rhine-Westphalia Brewery Association, which also includes the König, Radeberger and Diebels breweries, confirms the agreement. The association's managing director, Marc Peters, sees the collective agreement as “a challenge” as the industry continues to struggle with declining beer output and rising costs.
Tariff details at a glance
The new collective agreement has a term of 24 months and ends in March 2027. In addition to the wage increases, there are also practical measures for trainees who will receive two additional days off for their final exams. These developments are not only groundbreaking for North Rhine-Westphalia, but also reflect a broader movement in the industry, as can also be seen in other German breweries.
Rival companies such as Warsteiner, Veltins and Krombacher have also reached separate collective agreements that provide for similar salary increases. It is particularly worth mentioning that NGG country manager Mohamed Boudih is satisfied with the wage increase, which is above inflation. Such a development was not always a given in the past.
Looking at the industry
However, the current collective bargaining is not just a sign of positive changes in pay. Significant progress was also made in the Bavarian brewing industry this year. As early as May 3, 2023, after hours of negotiations, the Bavarian Brewers Association collective agreement and the NGG agreed on a collective agreement that provides for wage increases of a uniform 285 euros per collective bargaining group from June 2023. Another example that the brewing industry is in transition and the challenges are being overcome.
Overall, it is clear that the industry players have to have a good hand in order to survive in the changing landscape of the brewing industry. And even if there are setbacks, these collective agreements give hope for a more stable and fairer future for employees in German breweries.
More information here: Express.de, ngg.net, Brauwelt.com.