Paper and plastics processing: Employers present offer close to conclusion

The Hauptverband Papier- und Kunststoffverarbeitung (HPV) e.V. underpinned its goal of a rapid wage agreement with an offer close to a deal at the start of the collective bargaining negotiations in Berlin. The employers offered the Verdi union to increase wages and salaries by 2.1 percent in two stages over a period of 24 months: The first increase in pay would see a 1.1 percent rise on Oct. 1, 2021, while the second stage would be on Feb. 1, 2022, then with a further 1.0 percent increase. The collective bargaining agreement would run from Feb. 1, 2021, through Jan. 31, 2023.

Earlier, the HPV had rejected Verdi's demand of a 4.8 percent wage increase over a 12-month term. HPV negotiator Jürgen Peschel pointed to the difficult economic situation last year and the major uncertainties for 2021: "Last year was characterized by sharp declines in sales and production, falling productivity and high raw material prices. Nevertheless, in the biggest crisis of the post-war period, companies have already increased wages by 2.7 percent in the spring of 2020. Employees also benefited from very low inflation of 0.5 percent - all in all, they thus had a real plus in their wallets. Therefore, there is no plausible justification for a high wage demand." Jürgen Peschel pointed out that, despite all the adverse circumstances in the industry, the proposed pay increase should be seen as recognition of and appreciation for the employees in the industry who have stood by the companies in difficult times.

Constructive negotiating atmosphere
Overall, Peschel assessed the constructive atmosphere of the negotiations as positive. Compared to previous bargaining rounds, the bargaining partners had agreed - with some selective deviations - that the economic situation in the paper and plastics processing industry with its sub-sectors in 2020 had been characterized primarily by a decline in production and the number of employees.

The second round of negotiations between HPV and Verdi will take place on February 10, 2021 in Berlin, corona conditional again with small commissions in each case. As in the first round, all participants will be tested for Covid-19 before the meetings. The HPV Main Social Policy Committee will be consulted online between negotiations.