Employees at Deutsche Post AG to get a pay raise in 2012

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The approximately 130,000 employees subject to collective-bargaining agreements of Deutsche Post AG will receive a pay raise this year. The raise was agreed on as the company and the services union ver.di brought their latest collective-bargaining negotiations to a successful conclusion.

The negotiating parties agreed on a 4 percent pay raise that will take effect on April 1, 2012. In addition, Deutsche Post will provide an additional 0.5 percent that will serve as a contribution to the demographic fund that the company set up in October 2011 to serve as a pillar of its future model for age-based working solutions. The monthly pay of trainees at Deutsche Post AG rose by EUR 50 on January 1, 2012. The agreement runs through March 31, 2013.

"Deutsche Post provides world-class services to its customers every day. Thanks to the tremendous commitment of our employees, we had a very successful year in 2011," said Jürgen Gerdes, the Board Member at Deutsche Post DHL who oversees the MAIL Division. "I think it is extremely important for our employees to share in our company's success by having good pay increases, excellent working conditions and secure jobs. For this reason, I am pleased that during several rounds of negotiations ver.di and we were able to successfully work out a total package that addresses the needs of both sides - employees and the company."
One-time gross payment in 2012

During the initial round of negotiations, both sides agreed in December on a one-time gross payment in 2012 of EUR 400 for full-time employees subject to collective-bargaining agreements and of EUR 230 for civil servants.

In addition, Deutsche Post and ver.di reached an agreement in October 2011 on a unique, trendsetting model for age-based working solutions for employees subject to collective-bargaining agreements. A similar agreement for civil servants employed at the company will also be worked out. A commitment to avoid layoffs for business reasons included in an employment pact will also be extended to December 31, 2015.

Walter Scheurle, the Board Member responsible for Personnel at Deutsche Post DHL and the company's chief negotiator during the talks, said of the results: "The agreement is an expression of appreciation to our employees. As a result of it, we are enabling them to share in the company's successful growth. Together with the exemplary generations pact and the one-time payment, we have put together a package that we can systematically use to achieve our goal of becoming the employer of choice."

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Banking hours for semi-retirement?

Trendsetting Generations Pact

The Generations Pact enables older employees to work actively until they reach the legal retirement age and thus preserves their knowledge and experience for the business. At the same time, the agreement generates employment opportunities for young people: More than 1,000 qualified trainees will be taken over next year while at least 1,500 part-time employees will receive a permanent employment offer at the end of 2011.

The partial-retirement program available under German law will be supplemented by so-called working-time accounts and a demographic fund. Working-time accounts enable employees to build up a balance of time during their active professional lives that can then be applied toward non-working periods.