DGB: Around 1,500 Participants at Beamers' Action Day - Hesse civil servants demand €300 pay rise in escalating wage dispute

Pay talks between unions and the Hesse state government are set to resume later this month. Workers are pushing for higher wages, arguing that current salaries violate constitutional standards. Around 58,000 state employees could be affected by the outcome of these negotiations.

The dispute stems from a 2021 ruling by the Administrative Court in Kassel. It found that civil service pay in Hesse was unlawfully low between 2013 and 2020, breaching Germany's Basic Law. Unions now demand a minimum monthly increase of €300, plus a 7% pay rise to offset past real-wage losses.

Protests have already taken place across the state. In Frankfurt, around 1,000 civil servants joined a demonstration, while another 500 participated in a photo campaign organised by DGB North Hesse. Workers are calling for better conditions and fairer pay, highlighting widespread staff shortages in public services. Michael Rudolph, head of DGB Hesse-Thuringia, stressed that civil servants deserve salaries in line with constitutional rights. He accused the state of failing to meet this obligation for five years. The unions also insist that any wage deal for state employees must apply equally to civil servants at the same time. The third round of negotiations is scheduled for March 26–27. Both sides remain far apart on key issues, with unions warning that the public sector's role is too vital to ignore.

The upcoming talks will determine whether Hesse's civil servants receive pay adjustments in line with the 2021 court ruling. If no agreement is reached, further industrial action could follow. The outcome may also influence wage discussions in other German states facing similar pressures.