GVP collective agreement: the DGB/GVP agreements for temporary agency work since 2026

What is the GVP collective agreement?

‘GVP collective agreement’ is the common short form for the DGB/GVP collective agreements for temporary agency work (Tarifverträge Zeitarbeit DGB/GVP). The parties are, on the employers' side, the Gesamtverband der Personaldienstleister e. V. (GVP) and, on the union side, the DGB-Tarifgemeinschaft Zeitarbeit, in which all eight member unions of the German Trade Union Confederation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) are represented.

The GVP was formed on 01.12.2023 through the merger of the two former employers' associations BAP (Bundesarbeitgeberverband der Personaldienstleister) and iGZ (Interessenverband Deutscher Zeitarbeitsunternehmen). Their collective agreements initially continued as two separate sets of agreements under the GVP umbrella. In June 2025, the GVP and the DGB unions agreed on a joint set of collective agreements, which entered into force on 01.01.2026 and replaces the BAP and iGZ collective agreements.

In practice, these agreements are central because the Temporary Agency Work Act (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz, AÜG) generally requires the same working conditions as at the client (principle of equal treatment, Gleichstellungsgrundsatz, § 8(1) AÜG). Only a collective agreement may deviate from this (§ 8(2) AÜG). According to the GVP, the application of the DGB collective agreements is agreed in the employment contract in almost every employment relationship in temporary agency work.

What does the DGB/GVP set of collective agreements consist of?

The current hourly pay rates for all pay groups can be found in our article on the temporary agency work pay scale, and the supplement agreements under industry supplements.

Which pay rates apply in 2026 and 2027?

The pay rates are based on the pay settlement of 12.09.2025. It runs for 24 months until 30.09.2027 and provides for three increases in all pay groups:

The hourly pay rates of pay group 1 also serve as the wage floor in temporary agency work: the Seventh Ordinance on a Wage Floor in Temporary Agency Work (Siebte Verordnung über eine Lohnuntergrenze in der Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) applies them to all temporary work agencies – including those not bound by collective agreements and those based abroad.

Who does the GVP collective agreement apply to?

• Where both parties are bound: If the staffing provider is a GVP member and the employee is a member of a DGB union, the collective agreement applies directly and mandatorily.
• Through a reference in the employment contract: Employers and employees not bound by collective agreements can agree to apply it (§ 8(2) sentence 3 AÜG). According to the case law of the Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, BAG) and the Technical Instructions of the Federal Employment Agency (Fachliche Weisungen der Bundesagentur für Arbeit), the entire set of agreements must then be referenced; adopting only selected parts, such as the pay table alone, is not sufficient to deviate from the principle of equal treatment.
• Scope: The employment relationship must fall within the geographical, sectoral and personal scope of the collective agreement.
• Without effective application of the agreement: The principle of equal treatment applies from the first day of the assignment – that is, Equal Pay and Equal Treatment.

For its members, the GVP provides model employment contracts for the new set of agreements, including for permanent and fixed-term employment in full-time, part-time and mini-job (Minijob) arrangements.

What changes for former iGZ and BAP users?

• One set of agreements instead of two: Since 01.01.2026, only the DGB/GVP set of agreements exists. Anyone searching today for the ‘iGZ collective agreement’ or the ‘BAP collective agreement’ will find the predecessors.
• Check employment contracts: Reference clauses that still refer to the iGZ or BAP collective agreements should be reviewed. The GVP offers its members amendment agreements and an information letter to employees for this purpose.
• Transitional arrangement for former iGZ members: GVP members that were bound by the iGZ collective agreements on 31.12.2025 may, until 30.06.2027, pay the assignment-related allowance (einsatzbezogene Zulage) instead of the experience supplement (Erfahrungszuschlag, § 3 ETV DGB/GVP) – €0.20 per hour in EG 1 to EG 4 and €0.35 in EG 5 to EG 9. An earlier switch to the experience supplement is possible.

What does the collective agreement mean for Equal Pay?

The collective agreement allows a deviation from Equal Pay, but only within limits:

• Nine months: With regard to pay, a collective agreement may only deviate for the first nine months of an assignment to the same user undertaking (Entleiher) (§ 8(4) sentence 1 AÜG).
• Up to 15 months with industry supplements: A longer deviation is only permitted if a collective agreement on industry supplements applies that starts a gradual increase after an induction period of no more than six weeks and reaches equivalent pay after 15 months at the latest (§ 8(4) sentence 2 AÜG).
• Revolving-door clause (Drehtürklausel): The deviation under a collective agreement does not apply to temporary agency workers who left the user undertaking or a company of the same group in the six months before the assignment (§ 8(3) AÜG).
• Lower limit: A collective agreement may never fall below the wage floor under § 3a AÜG (§ 8(2) sentence 1 AÜG).

Under EU law, less favourable treatment under a collective agreement must respect the overall protection of temporary agency workers (CJEU, judgment of 15.12.2022 – C-311/21). On 31.05.2023 (5 AZR 143/19), the Federal Labour Court ruled for a set of temporary agency work collective agreements that this overall protection was maintained in the case decided – partly because pay continues during periods without assignment.

Common mistakes in practice

• Employment contracts continue to refer to the iGZ or BAP collective agreements without the reference having been reviewed.
• A pay increase (most recently 01.09.2026, next 01.04.2027) is not implemented for all employees – which risks back payments and pay below the wage floor.
• Only the pay table is adopted in the employment contract – the deviation from the principle of equal treatment is then not effective.
• The start of Equal Pay after nine months is overlooked, often because earlier assignments at the same client with a break of less than three months were not counted.
• The assignment-related allowance is paid although there was no iGZ collective agreement coverage on 31.12.2025.

Where can I find the text of the collective agreements?

The GVP publishes the pay tables on its website. Non-members can also obtain the complete set of agreements (as of January 2026) free of charge via a request form; since September 2026, there has also been an English version. Commentaries and model contracts are reserved for members.

Payroll preparation in our SBM staffing software shows how collectively agreed rates, pay increases and Equal Pay deadlines are maintained day to day.