"The social partner model is alive and well – despite all the naysayers", Fabian von Löbbecke, the Board member at Talanx responsible for occupational retirement provision who also shares joint responsibility for "Die Deutsche Betriebsrente", comments. "Roughly two years after the Act to Strengthen Company Pensions (Betriebsrentenstärkungsgesetz - BRSG) came into effect, we have found an important partner in ver.di, with whom we have now established the foundation for making the new retirement provision model available to our employees", von Löbbecke adds. The negotiations are very constructive and goal-oriented.

Milestone in protecting against poverty in old age

The social partner model at Talanx is based on an in-house collective agreement that is currently the subject of negotiations between ver.di and the Group. Martina Grundler, ver.di: "For employees, the social partner model could be a sensible component of financial security in old age. The fact that Talanx – as the first employer in Germany – now plans to implement this new instrument of retirement provision on a joint basis with us represents an important step especially for employees with low incomes and can could be a pattern for other companies.“

Second customer already in sight with Zurich

Also consortial leader Zurich intends to task a social partner model for its employees in Germany who are subject to the collective agreement. The company plans to begin negotiations with ver.di shortly. “The agreement between ver.di und “Die Deutsche Betriebsrente” is an important blueprint for the whole industry. In the current debates about the social partner model the decision to introduce a social partner model sends a signal and underlines the importance of new solutions in pension provision”, says Lars Golatka, CEO of Deutscher Pensionsfonds AG and consortia leder of “Die Deutsche Betriebsrente”.