DGB demands mandatory occupational pension for all employees

For companies without collective bargaining coverage, it would be conceivable from the DGB chair's perspective to take employees into existing models under certain conditions. Fahimi said she rejected „die Beschäftigten dazu einseitig zu verpflichten und sie in die Arme der Versicherungswirtschaft zu treiben." Occupational pension provision must come „zusätzlich zur gesetzlichen Rente" and must not place a one-sided burden on workers, she stressed.

Reference to higher contributions in Europe

Regarding potential criticism of additional contributions, Fahimi conceded: „Sie könne sich vorstellen, dass der Aufschrei groß sein werde und die Kritik komme, dass noch mehr Beiträge fällig werden." At the same time she pointed to the European comparison: „Aber in den meisten Ländern Europas liege der verpflichtende Rentenbeitragssatz bei 20 Prozent oder mehr und damit deutlich über den deutschen Sätzen." Often the employer share is even higher than what employees pay. „Ganz ‚irrsinnig' könne dieser Ansatz also nicht sein", the DGB chair said.

Support from the CDA workers' wing

Fahimi receives support from the workers' wing of the Union. CDA chair Dennis Radtke told the Funke Mediengruppe that to secure the pension level, „werde man die drei Säulen der Altersvorsorgung – gesetzlich, betrieblich und privat – künftig noch vernetzter denken müssen." Making occupational pension provision mandatory for all is „daher ein richtiger Schritt." There are already functioning models in the chemical industry and other collectively bargained sectors that could certainly be opened up to others.

Pressure before the summer break

The background to the initiative is a pension reform already on the agenda. „Bis zur Sommerpause will die schwarz-rote Koalition grundlegende Reformen auf den Weg bringen – auch die Rente ist Thema", the report continued. The federal government wants to launch a major pension reform by the summer, based on proposals from a pension commission, because pension expenditures threaten to fall short of revenues in the future as the baby boomer generations transition into retirement.

Fahimi clearly formulated the core demand in conversation with the RND: „dass es eine verpflichtende betriebliche Alterssicherung für alle gibt, und zwar mit uns als Tarifvertragsparteien." With the key points paper announced for the end of the month, the DGB aims to increase pressure on the coalition to include the occupational pension in the reform package. It is currently unclear how the federal government will respond to the proposal.

Distributed via dpa, the report was broadcast on June 7, 2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The demand is thus part of a broader debate in which trade unions, workers' wings, and the government are seeking ways to secure pension provision in a manner that is fair across generations.