Trade: Tariff agreement in NRW – Breakthrough in retail trade
The first conclusion of the nationwide collective bargaining round could serve as a model for other regions. In North Rhine-Westphalia, employees are to receive an immediate salary increase of three percent.
Employees in North Rhine-Westphalia's retail sector will receive a pay increase following a collective bargaining agreement between employers and the Verdi union. The deal, announced by the Handelsverband Nordrhein-Westfalen and Verdi-Landesbezirk, will see employees receive a 3% increase from August 2026 and a further 2% from May 2027.
The 25-month contract also sets a minimum hourly wage of €14.20 from August 2026 and €14.90 from May 2027 for lower-paid employees. Around 700,000 people work in the retail sector in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
