"Crisis"-hit German chemical sector holds off on wage hikes until early-2027

Bayer AG

25/03/2026 12:01

DUESSELDORF, March 25 (Reuters) - Germany's chemical industry trade union said on Wednesday it agreed with employers to hold off on wage hikes until January next year, saying an already difficult business environment had been worsened by war in the Middle East.

Under a collective bargaining deal, the IGBCE union said wages would increase by 2.1% in early 2027 and again by 2.4% a year later.

“We pushed ourselves to the limit to reach this crisis settlement,” said IGBCE chairman Michael Vassiliadis.

 (Reporting by Matthias Inverardi
Writing by Ludwig Burger; editing by Matthias Williams)

 ((ludwig.burger@thomsonreuters.com))