FC St. Pauli has become the first club in the German Bundesliga to implement a comprehensive internal collective agreement. The club announced this development on Thursday, collaborating with the union Verdi.
This agreement applies to employees and related companies involved in the areas of marketing and merchandising. However, it explicitly excludes management personnel, as well as the professional sports sector, including the youth performance centers and eSports.
Key elements of the new contract include the introduction of uniform pay grades and salary bands for the first time. Furthermore, the contract establishes standardized rules for general working conditions and social benefits. Financially, the agreement has a duration until June 30, 2028, with the new base salaries applying retroactively starting July 1, 2025.
The path to this agreement began with a membership application back in 2021. The final structure was developed over several years of negotiation between representatives from the club’s management, the Human Resources department, and a dedicated tariff commission made up of Verdi members. The agreement was officially signed on May 6, 2026. For employees who are already Verdi members, the contract applies automatically; all other workers falling under the agreement’s scope have the option of opting into the terms.