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1 October 2026
The first round of wage negotiations in the building cleaning sector ended without an agreement. Employees are demanding a 13 percent pay increase, while employers cite the difficult economic situation.
The first round of wage negotiations in the building cleaning sector ended after just three hours in Düsseldorf. The employers subsequently expressed their – quote – "incomprehension at the rigid stance of the IG BAU union." The Federal Guild Association of the Building Cleaning Trade (BIV) , which negotiates on behalf of the companies and rejects this demand, stated that they had rejected the 13 percent wage increase for the second time.
The IG BAU union presented its wage demands for the collective bargaining round back in June 2026. Since then, IG BAU has been demanding an increase of two euros per hour for all wage groups, with a contract term of twelve months. This would raise the industry minimum wage in wage group 1 from the current 15 euros to 17 euros. Glass and facade cleaners in wage group 6 would receive 20,40 euros per hour instead of 18,40 euros.
The second round of wage negotiations will take place on October 22nd in Cologne. Christian Kloevekorn, chairman of the BIV wage commission , expressed his incomprehension at the "rigid stance of IG BAU and how consistently it ignores economic reality."
The German economy is in a difficult situation, according to Kloevekorn. "Our industry-related service sector is experiencing a slump in economic sentiment. Our businesses are struggling with rising costs, weak customer demand, and massive economic uncertainty."
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Furthermore, the government is planning additional burdens: The association says that the planned reforms by the federal government could increase non-wage labor costs for companies by more than 30 percent, specifically regarding mini-jobs. (For your information: The plan is to raise the flat tax rate for mini-jobs from two percent to five percent (§ 40a paragraph 2 EStG).) And mini-jobs account for almost half of all employment in the building cleaning sector.
"Employers are hiding behind their clients. They say our demand is unaffordable because clients wouldn't pay higher prices. But in doing so, they're identifying the real problem themselves: cleaning work is being sold too cheaply. The work of our colleagues is worth more," says Ulrike Laux, the IG BAU board member responsible for building cleaning.
For the union, the issue is also fundamentally about valuing the work done in the sector. "Many cleaning staff, despite their work, can barely make ends meet and rely on supplementary government benefits. It's unacceptable that people work every day to ensure cleanliness and hygiene in schools, hospitals, offices, and industrial plants, yet still can't live decently on their wages. Those who want good work must be prepared to pay a fair price for it," said Laux.
The IG BAU union also criticizes the employers' stance on the statutory minimum wage. According to Laux, during negotiations, employers stated that the gap to the statutory minimum wage no longer plays the same role under the changed market conditions. "That sends a disastrous signal. Collectively agreed wages must be noticeably higher than the statutory minimum. Anyone who declares the gap to the minimum wage unimportant is calling into question the value of collectively agreed wages. For us, it's clear: the minimum wage is the absolute minimum and not the benchmark for what good work is worth," says Laux.
The union rejects economic developments as a valid argument. Current market data shows growth among large facility service companies. The 25 leading companies in Germany increased their revenue by an average of 6,3 percent in the past fiscal year. Building cleaning is also part of the facility service market. Source: The Building Service Providers Association; IG BAU
Tariffs at a glance The industry has nine wage groups. Two of these are legally binding industry minimum wages – meaning they apply to all commercial cleaners working in Germany. The industry minimum wage in the entry-level wage group for unskilled workers (LG 1) is currently €15. Skilled workers (LG 6) earn €18,40 per hour.
The current collective agreement for 2025 and 2026 stipulated a total wage increase of 11,1 percent over a 24-month period in the generally binding entry-level wage group (LG 1) (from €13,50 to €15). The industry minimum wage for skilled workers (LG 6) rose by a total of 10,2 percent over 24 months (from €16,70 to €18,40). Source: The building service providers
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