In the wage dispute with Deutsche Post, the union Verdi continues its warning strikes. Employees in all nationwide parcel centers of the Bonn logistics group were called to work stoppages during the late and night shifts until Wednesday morning.
Nationwide Warning Strikes in Parcel and Mail Centers
In addition, employees at selected mail centers in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, and Bremen went on strike, including in Freiburg, Pforzheim, Waiblingen, Celle, and Göttingen.
There were also work stoppages in the north. Employees at the parcel centers in Hamburg, Neustrelitz, and Neumünster participated in the strikes. According to the union, around 750,000 parcels remained unprocessed in this region alone.
The southeast of Germany is also affected. In Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, workers from distribution and delivery centers went on strike. Among the centers affected were those in Dresden, Ottendorf-Okrilla, Zwickau, and Leipzig (Saxony), Magdeburg, Halle, and Osterweddingen (Saxony-Anhalt) as well as Erfurt, Erfurt-Nohra, and Suhl (Thuringia).
The strikes are part of a nationwide action by Verdi to increase pressure on employers. Lars-Uwe Rieck, regional head of the postal services, freight forwarding, and logistics division in North/Hamburg, described the current offer from employers as "completely inadequate" and noted noticeable real wage losses for employees. The union expects an improved offer in the upcoming negotiation round.
Key points of the wage dispute
Verdi is demanding a seven percent wage increase with a contract duration of twelve months. The post office is offering a gradual increase totaling 3.8 percent over 27 months.
Another point of contention is additional vacation days. The union demands three extra days for all employees, and even four for members. The postal service only offers one additional vacation day for those employees who currently have less than 30 vacation days per year – this affects about two-thirds of the workforce.
Next round of negotiations on Monday and Tuesday
After three unsuccessful rounds of negotiations, the next round of collective bargaining is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. A company spokesperson showed little understanding for the renewed strikes. “The call for further warning strikes is unnecessary and comes at the expense of our customers.”
In recent weeks, Verdi had repeatedly called for warning strikes in various areas, which led to significant delivery delays in some regions. The postal service points to declining mail volumes and high investment needs, which would limit the scope for wage increases.
