Einzugsstelle
Garten- und Landschaftsbau - EWGaLa

Einzugsstelle Garten- und Landschaftsbau (EWGaLa – the collecting agency for gardening and landscaping) is the social insurance fund of the gardening, landscaping and sports ground construction industry recognized by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Since 1974, EWGaLa has been commissioned by the Federal Employment Agency to record companies and departments operating independently in the gardening, landscaping and sports ground construction sector and to collect the winter employment surcharge and, since 1977, on behalf of Ausbildungsförderwerks Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau e. V. (AuGaLa), to collect training levy.

-  Collection of training levy
Every employer of the gardening, landscaping and sports ground construction industry, whose company or operations department engaged in the green sector predominantly carries out work on third-party land, is obliged to register at AuGaLa due to the general extension of the collective agreement for vocational training east and west issued by the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.

Since 1977, employers in this sector have had to deduct training levy based on the the gross wages of manual workers in private employment. This training levy serves the purpose of promoting recruitment at levels of quality and quantity and has to be paid regardless if a company runs any vocational training measures or not. On behalf of AuGaLa, EWGaLa has agreed to record employers and to collect training levy.

- Collecting the winter employment surcharge
Employers of the construction related industry, whose companies do not predominently carry out maintenance work (from 50% of the hours worked), thus fall under the promotion of year-round employment in the construction industry in accordance with § 101 ff SGB III, apart from that, they are legally obliged to pay a winter employment surcharge to Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA – the Federal Employment Agency).

Since the beginning of 1974 and based on an agreement with the Federal Employment Agency about companies operating in the gardening, landscaping and sport ground construction industry and securing productive employment during winter, the collecting agency has been an establishment of the profession and collected the winter employment surcharge according to § 354 ff SGB III. The collection is conducted in close collaboration with the Federal Employment Agency’s regional branches. Applications for benefits from the productive winter employment promotion can be filed with the responsible local employment agency.

We are happy to answer your questions and/or to provide further information.