JOINT PRESS RELEASE Electrical Trades: New Minimum Wages for Skilled Workers / Don’t Give Wage Dumping a Chance

Frankfurt am Main – Employees in the electrical trades will receive higher minimum wages starting January 1, 2025. The IG Metall Executive Board and the Central Association of German Electrical and Information Technology Trades (ZVEH) have agreed to this as part of a new collective bargaining agreement. Under the agreement, the collectively bargained minimum wages will rise by 3.3 percent at the start of the year to 14.41 euros per hour. This puts them 12.4 percent above the statutory minimum wage, which will then be 12.82 euros. By 2028, minimum wages will increase in stages by a total of 15.4 percent compared to today’s levels, reaching 16.10 euros.

Nadine Boguslawski, IG Metall’s executive board member responsible for collective bargaining, said: “Union activism pays off on pay stubs. A reasonable industry-wide minimum wage protects against wage dumping and distortion of competition. Collective bargaining agreements based on social partnership safeguard working conditions and thus the future of the industry.”

Stefan Ehinger, ZVEH President: “Our companies and their employees are working to protect the climate and drive progress. Their expertise is a key factor in the successful implementation of the energy transition and digitalization. Fair and appropriate pay reflects the growing importance of work in the electrical trades and ensures that our industry remains attractive to skilled workers and the next generation of professionals in the future.”

IG Metall and ZVEH are seeking to have this collective bargaining agreement declared generally binding by the Federal Ministry of Labor as well. This would establish a new minimum wage threshold for over 520,000 employees in all electrical trade businesses.