Berlin Hospital Workers Secure Full Public-Sector Pay by 2031, But Deal Exposes Systemic Deficit
24.06.2026 - 02:45:17 | boerse-global.de
Roughly 2,200 employees at Berlin’s Vivantes hospital network will see their wages gradually rise to match the standard public-sector pay scale (TVöD) by July 2031, under a new collective agreement reached between management and the Ver.di union.
The deal covers staff in gastronomy, logistics, cleaning, technical services, rehabilitation, and the company’s medical care centres (MVZ). Until now, these workers earned between 91% and 96% of the TVöD level. The phased alignment begins with retroactive increases: around 4% effective 1 January 2025, followed by an additional 2.8% on 1 May 2025. For MVZ employees, a 7.8% rise kicked in at the start of this year, with annual adjustments planned thereafter.
Working hours will also shrink. Starting December 2030, the standard week drops from 39 to 38.5 hours. The contract runs through 31 December 2031.
From 2029, shift premiums climb to €80, and rotating-shift workers will receive €200. The annual special payment remains frozen at the 2025 level — roughly €2,000. Notably, the agreement does not include a company pension scheme.
Ver.di called the result a “hard-fought compromise,” but acknowledged that unequal treatment among the workforce persists for now. Vivantes management said it has gone “clearly beyond its financial pain threshold” to reach the deal. The hospital group is grappling with a structural deficit exceeding €120 million and is implementing a restructuring plan through 2029.
A strike that began earlier this year was suspended on 24 June pending the vote. Union members will now decide in a postal ballot, with results expected by 3 July. In a straw poll conducted on 22 June, roughly 70% of respondents backed the agreement. For it to be formally accepted, at least 25% of eligible voters must approve.
