The main association for paper and plastics processing (HPV) and the trade union Verdi have agreed on a new wage agreement in the third round of negotiations.
As of 1 July 2025, wages, salaries and training allowances for employees in the paper, cardboard and plastics processing industry will increase by 2.0 percent; from 1 May 2026, wages will increase by 2.4 percent and from 1 January 2027 by 1.1 percent. The agreement provides for a 27-month term. The agreement is valid until 30 April 2027, subject to the written approval of the parties to the collective agreement.
„Difficult situation in the industry included“
„We have reached a fair agreement that largely takes into account the difficult situation in the paper, cardboard and plastics processing industry,“ said the HPV chief negotiator Jürgen Peschel. „For many of our companies, this wage agreement is very close to the limit. However, we have repeatedly emphasised that we want to give our employees a pay rise as far as possible. The new collective agreement shows this: We have kept our word. The 5.5 per cent is well above the forecast inflation rate for the next two years.
For companies, the current recession in the industry Planning security in the foreground. We have achieved this with the agreed term of 27 months,“ said the HPV negotiator.
The employers have also achieved another important negotiation objective: With the first table-effective increase after five zero months on 1 July 2025, this first stage of the pay increase takes into account the fact that the paper and plastics processing industry is under massive pressure, especially in 2025. An earlier and higher start to the first increase would have been fatal, especially for those companies facing an existential crisis, the report concludes.
Source: HPV
