German government, unions reach pay deal for public workers

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German government officials and labor unions have reached a pay deal for more than 2.5 million public-sector workers, ending a lengthy dispute and heading off the possibility of disruptive all-out strikes. The ver.di union had pressed for hefty raises as Germany, like many other countries, grapples with high inflation. Germany’s interior minister said that officials “accommodated the unions as far as we could responsibly do in a difficult budget situation.” The deal entails one-time payments totaling 3,000 euros ($3,300) per employee, with the first 1,240 euros coming in June and monthly payments of 220 euros following until February. In March, regular monthly pay for all will be increased by 200 euros, followed by a salary increase of 5.5%.