Germany: Settlements fall in 2010 pay round

Despite the strong export-led recovery seen in Germany during the first half of 2010, pay bargaining was marked by low increases and the use of non-consolidated lump sums in some key deals, according to an analysis by the trade union-linked Economic and Social Research Institute (WSI).

The WSI's bargaining review of the first six months of 2010 finds that settlements were reached covering 7.1 million employees, resulting in an average pay increase of 1.2%.