TVöDVKA

TVöDVKA is a term that appears in discussions of Germany’s public‑sector collective bargaining system. In practice, it refers to the portion of the Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst (TVöD) that applies to municipalities and their municipal enterprises, and is closely related to the TVöD-VKA framework negotiated by the Vereinigung der kommunalen Arbeitgeberverbände (VKA). Some sources use the form TVöDVKA as a shorthand or variant spelling for the municipal sector arrangement.

Scope and content: The agreement covers employees of municipalities, municipal utilities, and other municipal employers within the local public sector. It establishes pay groups (Entgeltgruppen) and progression steps, determines wage increases and allowances, and sets working‑time rules. It also regulates other working conditions such as vacations, special payments, and certain fringe benefits. Because it operates under a national framework, local authorities may add supplements or implement specific provisions within the overall structure.

Relation to other agreements: TVöD provides the overarching framework for public employment in Germany. The municipal branch is negotiated separately by the VKA, producing the TVöD-VKA arrangement that governs many local public‑service jobs. Federal and state employees are covered by different agreements (TVöD Bund and TV-L, respectively). The municipal agreement is periodically revised in nationwide bargaining rounds and may be complemented by local addenda.

See also: TVöD, TVöD-VKA, VKA, Tarifvertrag, Entgeltgruppe.