Collective Bargaining Policy in the Skilled Trades Higher Wages in the Skilled Trades in 2025

Nationwide:

Wages and salaries already increased nationwide in November 2024: a 4.5 percent increase in wages and salaries and an additional 100 euros per month in apprenticeship pay.

The collective bargaining agreements can be terminated as of October 31, 2025, and are subject to renegotiation.

Baden-Württemberg:
Wages will increase by 2 percent as of July 1, 2025, and by an additional 3.1 percent as of July 1, 2026.

Trainees will receive an additional 140 euros per month starting in April 2025, with a further 3.1 percent increase effective July 1.
The supplementary amount (ZUB) will rise to 651.50 euros in 2025 and to 952 euros in 2026. In addition, improvements to the collectively bargained time off were agreed upon.

Term: through January 31, 2027 

Further information in the collective bargaining agreement

Bavaria

A 2.4 percent pay increase starting in January 2025. Apprenticeship wages will increase by 50 euros in September.

Berlin / Brandenburg

A 4.05 percent pay increase for employees starting in January 2025. Apprentice wages will rise by 4 percent starting in September 2025 to between 936 and 1,248 euros—representing a total increase of 12.3 to 17 percent over three years.

Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate

A 4.5 percent pay increase starting in July 2025. Apprentices will receive 40 euros per month (years 1 and 2 of training) or 50 euros per month (years 3 and 4 of training), representing a 5.2 to 5.7 percent increase.

Further Negotiations for the Electrical Trades in 2025

As of September 30, 2025, the collective bargaining agreements in the electrical trades sector in North Rhine-Westphalia can be terminated and renegotiated.

Nationwide

A 3.25 percent pay increase starting in February 2025. Monthly apprenticeship stipends already rose by 70 euros in August 2024—and will increase by an additional 50 euros starting in August 2025.

In the heating industry (HKS) and technical building services (TGA), IG Metall has already secured significant wage increases totaling around 10 percent over the past two years. Apprenticeship wages rose disproportionately.

Several collective bargaining rounds are now scheduled for 2025 in the HKS/TGA sectors. The following wage agreements are subject to termination and renegotiation in 2025:

March 31, 2025, Hamburg

April 31, 2025, Lower Saxony

August 31, 2025: Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Nationwide

A 3.3 percent pay increase starting in September 2025.

In all collective bargaining regions, the wage agreements expire on March 31, 2025—except in Bremen (July 31). Negotiations will begin in mid-March. More on the automotive sector wage negotiations

Rheinhessen/Rhineland

A 6.2 percent pay increase starting in January 2025. Apprenticeship wages will rise disproportionately by around 7 percent: 60 euros more per month in the first and second years of training, and 70 euros more in the third and fourth years

Berlin and Brandenburg

A 3.3 percent pay increase starting in January 2025, with disproportionately higher increases for pay grades I and II. Apprenticeship stipends will rise by 40 to 70 euros per month (5.4 to 6.9 percent), depending on the year of training.

Baden-Württemberg (mechanical trades)

A 3.2 percent increase starting in January 2025 (wages, salaries, and apprenticeship stipends).

Saxony-Anhalt

A 5.2 percent increase in the base pay rate (Pay Grade 3) starting in March 2025. The higher pay grades 4 through 8 will increase by 3.6 percent. Monthly apprenticeship stipends will increase by 50 euros.

Further Negotiations in 2025

In the following collective bargaining regions, the 2025 collective wage agreements are subject to termination and renegotiation:

May 31, 2025 Lower Saxony

June 31, 2025 Schleswig-Holstein

July 31, 2025 Saarland

September 30, 2025 North Rhine-Westphalia (locksmithing)

December 31, 2025 Berlin and Brandenburg, Lower Saxony (refrigeration equipment installation), Saxony-Anhalt (metalworking and refrigeration equipment installation)

Western federal states

A 3 percent increase in pay starting in October 2024. Apprenticeship stipends will rise by 70 euros per month. (Note: Baden-Württemberg six months later).

Nationwide

A 3.3 percent increase in pay starting in January 2025. Apprenticeship stipends will increase by 60 euros per month. The collective bargaining agreements can be terminated as of December 31 and are subject to renegotiation.

Nationwide

A 3.5 percent pay increase starting in January 2025. Apprenticeship stipends already increased by 70 euros per month in August 2024. The collective bargaining agreements can be terminated as of June 30 and are subject to renegotiation.

Baden-Württemberg (SHK and HKS trades)

The collective bargaining agreements and wage settlements of the HKS / TGA industry in Baden-Württemberg (see above) apply.

Bremen

A 3.2 percent pay increase starting in January 2025—wages, salaries, and apprenticeship stipends. The collective bargaining agreements can be terminated as of December 31 and are subject to renegotiation.

Hesse

A 2.9 percent pay increase effective January 2025. The collective bargaining agreements may be terminated as of December 31 and are subject to renegotiation.

Lower Saxony

A 3 percent pay increase starting in January 2025. The collective bargaining agreements can be terminated as of December 31 and are subject to renegotiation.

North Rhine-Westphalia

A 3.6 percent pay increase starting in March 2025. Apprentices will receive an additional 60 euros per month—a 5.8 to 7.1 percent increase, depending on their year of training.

Palatinate

A 4 percent pay increase starting in February 2025 (wages and salaries). Apprenticeship stipends will increase by 4.8 to 6.5 percent starting in April 2025: by 40 euros in the first two years of training, and by 60 euros in the third and fourth years.

Negotiations in the Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning Trade for 2025

The following additional collective bargaining agreements are subject to termination and renegotiation in 2025:

May 31, 2025, Schleswig-Holstein (wages and salaries)

July 31, 2025 Schleswig-Holstein (Apprenticeship Stipends)

December 31, 2025: Bremen, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Palatinate

Baden-Württemberg

A 2.5 percent pay increase starting in November 2025. Monthly apprenticeship stipends will increase by 50 euros.

Bavaria (Carpentry Trade)

A 3.5 percent increase starting in March 2025. Apprenticeship stipends were already raised by 100 euros per month in September 2024.

Berlin

A 3.5 percent pay increase starting January 1, 2025. Monthly apprenticeship stipends will increase by 20 to 30 euros.

Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia

A 3 percent pay increase starting in February 2025. Monthly apprenticeship stipends will increase by 70 euros.

Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia

A 3.5 percent increase starting January 2025. Apprenticeship stipends will increase by 35 euros (2nd and 3rd years of apprenticeship) to 70 euros (1st year of apprenticeship).

Hesse

Nearly 6 percent increase in wages and salaries starting in January 2025. Apprenticeship stipends were already increased by 75 euros per month in August 2024.

Rhineland-Palatinate

Approximately 6.2 percent increase in wages and salaries starting in January 2025. Apprenticeship stipends were already increased by 75 euros per month in August 2024.