In November 2001, collective agreements were signed in the German soft drinks industry , providing for a 3% pay increase in 2002 and introducing a new collectively agreed pensions scheme. The industry was one of the first to settle in the 2002 collective bargaining round, thus setting a mark for other sectors.
On 16 November 2001, the Food and Restaurant Workers' Union (Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten, NGG) and the Employers' Association for the Soft Drinks Industry (Wirtschaftsvereinigung Alkoholfreie Getränkeindustrie, WAFG) concluded new collective agreements for about 18,000 employees in the German soft drinks industry, which includes well-known companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola.
The new pay agreement provides for a 3% pay increase from 1 January 2002 and has a duration of 12 months. Since it is the first major pay agreement in the 2002 collective bargaining round, it may act as a 'marker', providing an orientation for other sectors.
In addition, NGG and WAFG agreed on the introduction of a new collectively agreed occupational pensions scheme (as has been the case in other sectors - DE0111201F), in which every employee in the industry will have the right to participate. A sector-specific pension fund will be created, to which both employees and employers will contribute. While the former will use their existing collectively agreed 'capital-forming payments ' (vermögenswirksame Leistungen), the latter will make an additional contribution to the fund. Overall, every employee has the opportunity to achieve an annual payment of up to DEM 1,200 into the pension fund.
The vice-president of NGG, Reiner Wittorf, commented that these agreements 'have broken new ground in collective bargaining' and 'have made an important social contribution to the pensions of employees in the soft drinks industry'.