The number of collective bargaining agreements concluded last month lagged behind previous years, notes the AWVN. On average, there are twenty in February. According to AWVN, the decline is due to the large number of collective labor agreements signed in 2022. As a result, there is less demand for new collective labor agreements. In total, around 340,000 employees were confronted with the new collective working conditions in February.
The AWVN talks about a trend that has been going on since the start of 2021. According to the employers’ association, last month’s sharp increase is partly due to rising inflation, which means employees are benefiting from a recovery of purchasing power. According to employers, inflexibility in some parts of the labor market also plays a role.