Employees at Germany’s Sparda-Bank group will soon be able to take up to two extra paid days off each year for health check-ups or volunteer work, under a collective deal struck with the ver.di union. The provision, part of a broader modernisation of the sector’s framework contract, marks a shift toward more personalised time-off options in banking.
The accompanying pay agreement runs for 24 months, retroactive from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2028. Salaries rise 3.3 percent from the start of the period, with a further 3.1 percent increase scheduled for 1 April 2027. The combined wage growth exceeds 6 percent over two years, a compromise that both sides said prevented further industrial action in the sector.
Ver.di negotiators also secured targeted improvements for trainees. Monthly training allowances will increase by a flat €100, and employers will cover the cost of the Deutschlandticket, the national public-transport pass. With training structures evolving, the agreement introduces a new pay grade specifically for fourth-year apprentices – a move designed to attract young talent amid persistent skilled-labour shortages.
The deal came only after a fraught bargaining round. Ver.di had declared the third negotiating session a failure and escalated warning strikes. The union noted that while peace has now returned to the Sparda-Bank network, other sectors remain at loggerheads. In Saarland’s retail and mail-order trade, talks have stalled entirely – appointments have been cancelled and no employer offers have been tabled. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical wholesale workers are striking for a 7 percent pay rise, having received proposals that fall well short of that demand.
