Enlarge image
Warning strike on December 23rd in Hanover: The collective bargaining dispute in retail has been deadlocked for months
Photo: Stefan Rampfel / dpa
The Ver.di union has called on retail workers nationwide to go on warning strikes on Friday. “This is just the first of several strike and action highlights in the coming weeks,” said the union. It was only in the days immediately before Christmas that there were numerous warning strikes in retail, but they had no effect on the current situation. The current round of collective bargaining in retail has been going on for months.
It is unclear how strongly customers will feel the work stoppages. In previous warning strikes, the effects were only minor because not too many employees took part in the industrial action. Ver.di demands, among other things, at least 2.50 euros more per hour in retail in all regions and a term of one year. Depending on the federal state, there are additional requirements.
A total of around 3.1 million employees are affected by the collective bargaining, which started in spring 2023. Top-level talks at the federal level have not brought any progress recently. Ver.di accuses the employers of blocking the negotiations. The employers' association HDE, on the other hand, argues that the offer has already been improved several times, while the union simply insists on its maximum demands.
According to the Ver.di announcement, several weeks of action will follow until Easter. »We want to specifically focus on the blockers in the employer camp. This week we start with Edeka. For this purpose, actions will take place in front of warehouses and branches," announced Silke Zimmer, who is responsible for retail on the union's federal executive board. The union is also planning several strike rallies at Edeka on Friday, including in Hamburg, Cologne and Chemnitz.
fdi/dpa