Millions of German state employees to get raise, COVID bonus

BERLIN (AP) — About 3.5 million state-level employees and civil servants in Germany will receive a 2.8% raise and a tax-free COVID-19 bonus of about $1,470 next year. The agreement announced by two unions Monday also will see higher raises and hazard pay for workers in some medical and care professions and a tax-free bonus of 650 euros for trainees and interns. The deal between the unions and most of Germany’s 16 states follows a series of strikes particularly in the health care sector. The agreement is valid for two years. It applies to public hospitals, schools, police, fire services and bureaucrats in all states except Hesse, where a similar agreement was reached last month.