TVöDBund

TVöD Bund, short for Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst Bund, is the collective wage agreement that regulates pay scales, working conditions and related employment terms for employees in the federal public service in Germany. It applies to staff employed by the federal government and its subordinate authorities and institutions, such as ministries, federal agencies, and publicly funded bodies. Civil servants (Beamte) are not covered by TVöD Bund, as they are governed by separate civil service law and pay rules.

The agreement structures compensation through defined pay groups (Entgeltgruppen) and pay steps (Stufen). Most positions are assigned to one of the Entgeltgruppen, and employees advance through the Stufen based on time in service and performance, which determines base salary, allowances, and certain supplementary payments. In addition to pay, TVöD Bund covers working time, leave, overtime, shift allowances, and other employment terms. It also addresses aspects such as vacation, parental leave, sick leave, career development, and processes for job mobility and transfers.

Negotiation and validity: TVöD Bund is negotiated between federal employers’ associations and the trade unions representing public-service workers, notably ver.di and the DBB Beamtenbund, in regular tariff rounds. These rounds typically result in multi-year agreements that set wage increases and framework conditions for the federal public service.

History and context: The TVöD Bund framework emerged in the 2000s as part of reforms to unify and modernize pay systems within the federal public service and is periodically updated through tariff rounds. There are parallel agreements for other levels of government, such as TV-L for the states and various local arrangements (e.g., TVöD-V for municipalities).