BusRente BW is aimed particularly at commercial employees, including numerous bus drivers. The basis is a collective agreement concluded by the social partners, which provides for a security contribution in addition to contributions. “We were one of the first sectors with small and medium-sized companies in Germany to conclude a collective agreement on pure contribution commitments,” says Silke Geiger, Head of Human Resources and Tariffs at the WBO.
The company pension plan model is mandatory for member companies; an opt-out for employees is not possible. The official start of BusRente BW was on January 1, 2026, although there is a transition period of twelve months. Currently, around a quarter of WBO member companies have introduced the model.
The model was implemented gradually with the involvement of the social partners. A central challenge was to establish the principle of pure contribution commitments in an industry that is heavily influenced by medium-sized companies. “The financial world is not the core task of our industry – we move people,” says Geiger, looking back.
According to Geiger, the association is taking a pioneering role with its social partner model because, like few others, it is aimed at an industry with a strong focus on small and medium-sized businesses with an average of ten employees per company. The company pension plan is a building block for the association to attract and retain employees. In addition to the company pension scheme, the industry’s collective collective agreement includes numerous other benefits, including a special annual payment, holiday pay, sick pay subsidies, pro-rata break pay and the assumption of training costs. In addition, many member companies offer voluntary services such as fuel vouchers, corporate benefits and fitness offers.
According to the association, the model is already receiving a positive response in the current introductory phase: around a quarter of the employees have already been integrated until the end of 2026 despite the transition period. The WBO sees this as a positive signal for the acceptance of the new system. “Winning the bAV Prize underlines the industry’s commitment to its employees,” affirms Geiger. In the future, the focus should be on implementing BusRente BW in other companies. At the same time, the association strives for the highest possible return after costs in the social partner advisory board.
Mara Marx is a volunteer at Human Resources.
