German postal workers threaten further strikes in wage dispute

Postal workers at Germany’s Deutsche Post mail service are threatening further strikes in parcel delivery to underscore their demands for wage hikes during ongoing collective bargaining talks.

The verdi trade union, which represents postal workers, said on Wednesday morning that workers have been called on to mount a one-day strike for full shifts.

“The message is clear: We are serious and we are ready to fight for our demands,” said verdi’s deputy chairwoman Andrea Kocsis.

The union had already staged smaller strikes at selected mail centres on Tuesday in order to increase the pressure on Deutsche Post in the collective bargaining round. The impact was limited as the strikes were selective.

Verdi is demanding a pay rise of 7% and an extra three days of paid holiday for the approximately 170,000 postal workers in Germany. Members of the verdi union would get an extra day of holiday as well under the proposal.

The union has justified its demands by pointing to inflation, which has driven up the cost of living, and the increased workload on postal employees, which requires more time off to recover and relax.

But Deutsche Post has dismissed the demands as excessive and unaffordable. The company has pointed to shrinking letter volumes and high investment needs to modernize the parcel system in the digital age.

Deutsche Post management has announced that it will present an offer in the next round of collective bargaining starting on February 12.

Postal workers at Germany’s Deutsche Post mail service are threatening further strikes in parcel delivery to underscore their demands for wage hikes during ongoing collective bargaining talks.

The verdi trade union, which represents postal workers, said on Wednesday morning that workers have been called on to mount a one-day strike for full shifts.

“The message is clear: We are serious and we are ready to fight for our demands,” said verdi’s deputy chairwoman Andrea Kocsis.

The union had already staged smaller strikes at selected mail centres on Tuesday in order to increase the pressure on Deutsche Post in the collective bargaining round. The impact was limited as the strikes were selective.

Verdi is demanding a pay rise of 7% and an extra three days of paid holiday for the approximately 170,000 postal workers in Germany. Members of the verdi union would get an extra day of holiday as well under the proposal.

The union has justified its demands by pointing to inflation, which has driven up the cost of living, and the increased workload on postal employees, which requires more time off to recover and relax.

But Deutsche Post has dismissed the demands as excessive and unaffordable. The company has pointed to shrinking letter volumes and high investment needs to modernize the parcel system in the digital age.

Deutsche Post management has announced that it will present an offer in the next round of collective bargaining starting on February 12.