Works Council Conference Security and Cleaning
Record participation and clear demands: With 111 works councillors from security and cleaning, more participants than ever before came to the works council conference of the vida trade union on 1 October 2025, to which the building management department had invited.
KV Autumn
"When we started these events in 2017, 25 participants accepted our invitation. The high level of participation shows that there is a lively interest in exchange and trade union engagement in these industries," vida department secretary Ursula Woditschka welcomed the visitors.
"Works councils are the central actors in organizing employees, bringing information from vida to companies and working together for better wages and working conditions."
Solidarity against wage restraint
Current political debates, in which employees are unjustly admonished to wage restraint, only lead to even more solidarity in the trade union vida. Their negotiators are demanding fair pay – and have good arguments: In contrast to the metal industry, which is heavily dependent on the weakening German car industry, many service companies are doing well economically. Cleaning service providers achieved an increase in sales of almost 9 percent in 2024 - with almost the same number of employees.
"You can argue classically economically: work, like commercial goods, has its price. And when a good becomes scarce, its price rises."
The employees in cleaning and security know that their work is indispensable. It cannot be relocated abroad and keeps the country running. Guards as well as cleaners make a significant contribution to the functioning of the economy and society - in two ways. On the one hand through their valuable work, and on the other hand through consumption, they give a large part of their income directly back into the economic cycle.
Security industry: Fair wage scheme demanded
A recent vida member survey in the security industry shows a need for action:
- Around 70% of employees regularly work 12-hour shifts
- 55% of them without readiness for work
- almost a quarter are affected by minus hours
- 90% were critical of the existing wage and employment group scheme
The trade union vida therefore demands:
- a transparent and fair wage scheme with three employment groups
- Career opportunities and planning security
- fair wage increases,
- more focus on readiness to work
- Set minus hours to zero
Collective bargaining negotiations for the security industry will start on 23 October 2025.
Cleaning: Adjustments necessary for 2026
Talks are also pending in the area of monument, façade and building cleaning, due to the inflation rate of over 3%. The preliminary financial statements for 2026 bring, among other things:
- Wage group 1: € 14.47 + inflation + 0.1%
- Wage group 2: € 13.04 + inflation
- Wage group 3: € 12.74 + inflation
- Salary group 4: € 12.53 + inflation + 50% of the difference to LG 2
- Wage group 5: € 12.24 + inflation + 50% of the difference to LG 3
- Wage group 6: € 12.00 + inflation + 0.1 %
- Apprentices: 42%, 52%, 62% and 72% of LG 1
- Separation and consumption money: plus inflation
Confidence for two important occupational groups
The trade union vida is going into the upcoming collective bargaining rounds with clear demands for fair wages, better working conditions and more transparent wage systems. With the tailwind from their successful conference, the works councils can also confidently carry their common message into their companies: Guards and cleaners deserve recognition and fair wages.
