For the first time since the 2021 inflation surge, collectively bargained wages in Europe made significant gains last year, a study shows. In the eurozone, nominal wages rose 4.5 percent, and after inflation, workers still saw a real increase of 2.1 percent, according to the European Collective Bargaining Report from the WSI Institute of the Hans Böckler Foundation.
Austria led with a 5.4 percent real gain, followed by Portugal (4.5%) and Slovakia (3.8%). Germany’s inflation-adjusted increase of 2.8 percent also exceeded the eurozone average.
Still Catching Up
“Despite strike activity, collective wages need to catch up,” the report states. Long contract durations—two years on average in Germany—left wage rises trailing inflation, causing real-wage losses while corporate profits grew. Yet, except in Portugal, real wages still lag 2020 levels: Czechia (−11.4%), Italy (−9.1%), Spain (−5.6%); Germany (−4.7%), Austria (−1.1%).
Vigorous Strike Culture
Strike days per 1,000 workers rose sharply in 2023–24, even in low-strike Austria. Germany logs 21 strike days—10 minutes per worker yearly—placing it mid-table with the Netherlands. France (102 days), Belgium (107 days), and Finland (93 days) see much higher strike volumes. “Debates on restricting strike rights in Germany miss the mark,” the authors conclude: strike levels and rights aren’t exceptionally high or liberal.
