Overview
- IG BCE and BAVC sealed a 27‑month agreement, announced Wednesday, for about 585,000 workers in the sector.
- Pay stays flat through 2026, then rises 2.1% on January 1, 2027 and 2.4% on January 1, 2028, with strong firms allowed to start three months earlier.
- Employers will pay €300 per employee (€150 for apprentices) in both 2026 and 2027 into an expanded demography fund that now finances training, re‑skilling and site support, totaling more than €350 million.
- Union and employer leaders describe a crisis compromise aimed at preventing layoffs as chemical output lags far below 2018 levels and plants face weak demand and high energy costs.
- The deal came without strikes and is the first major industry agreement of 2026, a potential marker for other wage talks later this year.