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Hesse to Rewrite Pay Scales as Germany Accelerates Civil-Service Overhaul After Court Ruling

A ruling requiring salaries to meet at least 80% of the national median compels governments to reset pay tables under a March 2027 deadline.

Overview

  • Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says a national reform proposal is due within weeks, setting the pace for states.
  • Hesse’s interior ministry is auditing grades and experience steps, including retroactive effects, and is aiming for a regulation by summer.
  • Applying the 80% benchmark would lift the lowest federal grade A3 from €2,707 gross toward roughly €3,000, with mandated spacing pushing higher grades up.
  • The Interior Ministry has not provided definitive cost figures, while outside estimates point to about €1.2 billion in added annual spending alongside existing outlays of roughly €23 billion for pay and €18.5 billion for pensions.
  • Unions support swift, law‑compliant raises and expect back pay from 2020, while business voices such as Sarna Röser and the INSM warn of tighter labor competition and argue for curbing new tenured appointments.