Cleaning industry cheers: wages from 2025 rise enormously!

From January 2024, employees in building cleaning can look forward to higher wages. The hourly wage for building cleaners is raised to 14.25 euros, which corresponds to an increase of 75 cents compared to the previous wages. In the Altmark district, around 610 people are currently employed in the building cleaner industry, which also includes glass and facade cleaners. For these specialists, the hourly wages even increase to at least 17.65 euros per hour, which corresponds to an increase of 95 cents. A total of 17 companies in the Altmarkkreis implement the new wages, as the Volksstimme reported.

Wages in building cleaning also increase at nationwide level. Employees in this industry are gradually receiving around 11% higher wages after employers and unions have agreed new general bonds. The increase, which will come into force from January 2025, also affects the training allowances that will increase from this point in time. The building cleaner trade employs a total of around 700,000 employees in Germany, of which around 500,000 relating to the minimum industry, as the Deutsche Handwerkszeitung reported.

Details on the wage increases

The new minimum sector in wage group 1 will be raised to 14.25 euros from January 2025, while the increase in wage group 6, which also includes glass and facade cleaners, increases from currently EUR 16.70 to 17.65 euros. This increase depended on the negotiations in the fourth round of negotiations, in which other tariff details were also discussed. The collective agreement has a term of 24 months and approval of the responsible committees of the parties to the collective agreement was given at the end of November. From January 2026, wages rise again: wage group 1 increases to 15 euros, while wage group 6 increases to 18.40 euros.

The training allowances also experience an increase: in the first year of training, the remuneration increases from 900 euros to 1,000 euros, from 1,035 euros to 1,150 euros in the second year and 1,200 euros in the third year to 1,300 euros. Furthermore, IG Bau had initially called for a higher wage of three euros more per hour, but this was not taken into account in the new collective agreement. A 13th monthly income is also not provided for in the contract, while discussions about a possible union bonus for November 2025 are planned.