„This is the new industry minimum wage for interior building cleaning,“ says Ute Langenbahn from IG BAU Saar-Trier. This sets a new “wage benchmark” for the total of 33 companies in the cleaning industry in the Saarlouis district. „In one year, the wage will rise again – to a flat 15 euros per hour. For building cleaners, this is an important step on the wage ladder,“ says Ute Langenbahn.
The union has succeeded in securing a wage increase of over 11 percent for employees in the building cleaning trade within just two years. „This is a huge wage jump upward. Building cleaners are now paid significantly more fairly for the tough job they do: they now receive a clean wage for their clean work,“ says the district chairwoman of IG BAU Saar-Trier, Ute Langenbahn.
According to IG BAU, around 1,700 people are employed in the building cleaning industry in the Saarlouis district. This also includes glass and façade cleaners. Their hourly wage will also increase in January: „Those who professionally clean glass façades outdoors in all weather conditions now earn at least 17.65 euros per hour – which is 95 cents more than before,“ says Ute Langenbahn. This is the industry minimum wage for skilled workers – and thus an important lower wage limit for employers in the Saarlouis district.
In addition, IG BAU has strongly advocated at the collective bargaining table for a significantly higher training allowance: „Trainees in building cleaning now start their apprenticeship with 1,000 euros per month. This means they have 100 euros more in their pocket,“ says Ute Langenbahn. In the second year of training, trainees receive 1,150 euros, and in the third year 1,300 euros, according to IG BAU Saar-Trier.
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