Painters in Upper Palatinate are happy about a wage increase of 90 euros!

Painters in Upper Palatinate are happy about a wage increase of 90 euros!

The painting industry in the region is very busy and is facing positive changes. From April 2025, employees in the painting companies in the Tirschenreuth, Neustadt and Weiden districts can look forward to a noticeable wage increase. Like that Upper Palatinate Echo reported that full-time workers in Tirschenreuth receive 90 euros more per month, which increases the hourly wage to 19.42 euros. This increase applies retroactively and can be seen as the result of tough collective bargaining.

But that's not all: In Neustadt, around 100 employees in 19 companies and in Weiden 50 employees in 10 companies will benefit from the new regulations. There is also a minimum wage of 15.55 euros for painters and varnishers without a collective wage, which will come into force from July 2025. And trainees in the industry can look forward to an increase in their remuneration of 50 euros from August. The German craft newspaper highlights that further wage increases and improvements to training remuneration are already planned for next year, which IG BAU sees as a significant step for employees in the industry.

Course of collective bargaining

The collective bargaining was a tough process marked by various challenges. According to the information from Craft.com IG BAU agreed to the latest compromise after not making an official statement for a long time. The employers' side has made extensive concessions and accepted all of the union's essential conditions, but IG BAU remains skeptical and sees further potential for an appropriate wage adjustment.

The agreement came after a trial that concluded on April 11, 2025, after previous negotiations were deeply stalled. Due to the complexity of the discussions and the initiated East-West equalization of wages, it should be noted that the development of collective wage agreements remains an ongoing process.

The new collective agreement stipulates in detail that the basic wage will be increased to 20 euros by September 2027, while the increase for 2026 already includes a further 3.0 percent. These steps are part of a comprehensive package of measures that also provides for a gradual adjustment of wages in the eastern federal states. IG BAU continues to emphasize how important the developments in collective bargaining are for the industry, as they are crucial for the attractiveness of the trade.

The goal remains clear: fair remuneration that takes into account the increased cost of living and work and at the same time strengthens the quality and attractiveness of the job profile. The coming years will show how the industry will successfully overcome these challenges.