German unions demand 4.8% wage increase for federal, municipal workers

German unions agreed to demand a 4.8% wage increase for more than 2.3 million public sector workers at the federal government and municipalities, the Verdi and dbb unions said on Tuesday.

"The coronavirus pandemic has shown that the public sector and its employees are holding the country together. This must also be made reflected in the result of the upcoming wage negotiations," Verdi head Frank Werneke said.

Werneke added that the proposed wage freeze by the employers was "absolutely unacceptable".