WDR Staff Face Long Wait for Pay Rises as Three-Stage Deal Stretches Into 2028
Published on 07/31/2026 at 23:20 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The final bargaining session ran for roughly ten hours on July 31, and the result is a compromise that will test the patience of employees at Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Rather than a single lump-sum increase, the broadcaster's workforce will see wages climb through three separate adjustments spread over more than two and a half years.
The first rise, backdated to February 1, 2026, delivers 1.23 percent. A second increase of 2.0 percent follows in February 2027. The final step, due in February 2028, offers up to 2.5 percent — but only part of that figure is locked in.
Just 1.0 percent of that last tranche is guaranteed. Another 0.5 percent depends on a collective agreement across the entire ARD network regarding personnel secondment, while the remaining 0.5 percent hinges on the outcome of the ongoing debate over the broadcasting fee. In the safest scenario, employees are assured of 4.73 percent in total; if conditions align, that could stretch to 5.73 percent.
Freelancers haven't been left out of the deal. Their fees will rise in line with the pay grades of permanent staff, and freelance workers classified as employee-like will receive a one-off payment of 600 euros.
Trainees also come away with gains. The guarantee of taking on apprentices after their training is extended by a year, now covering cohorts completing their programs through the end of 2029. An additional day of annual leave is also on the table. The framework agreement governing working conditions has been reinstated, providing longer-term stability for the collective bargaining structure.
Stefanie Drinhausen, the WDR's administrative director, made no secret of the strain the settlement places on the broadcaster's finances. The offer, she said after the agreement was reached, pushes the organization to the limits of what it can afford. The deal still requires approval from the administrative board and other oversight bodies before it takes full effect.
Union representatives offered a measured response rather than celebration. Volkmar Kah, the lead negotiator for the DJV journalists' union, described the outcome as a compromise that leaves his side less than fully satisfied. The extended 35-month duration drew particular criticism, as did the fact that the VRFF union negotiated its own separate agreement.
Christof Büttner of ver.di pointed to the seven tough rounds of talks that preceded this result. The improvements for staff are tangible, he acknowledged, but he too flagged the length of the agreement as a sticking point. For members of the participating unions, the more favorable terms from the new settlement will apply in each case.
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