Bavaria’s brewery workers will not go on strike

Although the union did not quite achieve its goal of a 6 percent wage increase, a pay rise of 2.9 percent as of March 2008 does not seem bad either.

“Arbitration successful”. That’s the message Bavaria’s brewers sent to consumers after discussions for a pay increase had collapsed in January which had been accompanied by token strikes. A few weeks later an agreement was reached which provides for a 2.9 percent pay rise for Bavaria’s 10,000 brewery workers. Employees at Munich’s four breweries (Augustiner, Hofbräu, InBev’s Spaten-Löwenbräu and Schörguber/Heineken’s Paulaner) will even see 3.5 percent added to their pay cheques as of March this year.

There will also be a one-time payment of EUR 300 after tax and EUR 300 before tax. Apprentices will receive a one-time payment of EUR 200 after tax. The new collective agreement is to run for 12 months.

Initially, the union had bargained for a 6 percent pay rise and a job guarantee for all apprentices after the end of their training. The collective agreement was to run for six months only, so that future collective bargaining disputes would be scheduled for the busy summer months when Bavaria’s 600-odd brewers can ill afford a strike.