Press Release 28th January 2026

REWE Group Austria sets an example: voluntary pay rise for retail workers

Although collective bargaining negotiations for retail workers for the year 2026 have not yet been concluded, REWE Group Austria is sending a clear signal of reliability and social responsibility. In close consultation with employee representatives, the company management has decided to voluntarily and provisionally increase collective agreement wages by 2.55 per cent retroactively from 1 January 2026.

A man in a black shirt and red pants stands smiling in a warehouse with red carts and yellow conveyor belts.

REWE Group Austria sets an example: voluntary pay rise for retail workers / Copyright: © REWE Group/Payr, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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At a glance

2.55 per cent increase retroactive to 1 January 2026
Financial security for around 4,800 employees

With this measure, the REWE Group aims to provide the approximately 4,800 employees affected with financial security at an early stage and to anticipate a possible future collective agreement increase. Existing overpayments will of course remain unchanged.

‘It was important to us not to wait for the formal conclusion of the collective bargaining negotiations, but to take responsibility and act quickly,’ emphasises Marcel Haraszti, CEO of REWE International AG. ‘Especially in economically challenging times, our employees need planning security. With this voluntary increase, we are creating exactly that – fairly, transparently and in close consultation with the works council.’

Employee representatives welcome the move

Werner Hackl, Chairman of the REWE Group Works Council: ‘The voluntary increase is an important and positive signal to the company's employees. It shows that social partnership is practised at the REWE Group and that the financial concerns of employees are taken seriously. The fact that this measure was implemented jointly with the Works Council is a strong sign of cooperation.’

Should the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations result in a higher collective agreement increase at a later date, this will of course be taken into account and increased accordingly. The adjustment now granted will be transparently offset against any retroactive collective agreement increase.

With this step, REWE Group Austria once again reaffirms its commitment to fair working conditions, social responsibility and partnership-based cooperation with employee representatives.