- Initial cautionary action taken at the Leipzig expo
For the first time in its history, around 150 workers at the Leipzig Trade Show participated in a work stoppage, as per union Verdi. The action, titled "Our trade show doesn't care about us," aims to influence ongoing salary discussions. Verdi is pushing for a salary boost of 650 euros and a bonus equivalent to a full month's salary.
The Leipzig Trade Show, owned jointly by the city of Leipzig and Freestate of Saxony, has had a collective agreement in place for just two years. According to Verdi's sector head Paul Schmidt, the show's wages are roughly 20% lower than those of its shareholders. Other German trade shows pay higher salaries. Due to inflation and other factors, a substantial wage hike is required at the Leipzig Trade Show as well.
The trade show's management disagrees with Verdi's demands, viewing the work stoppage as "completely unnecessary." In the initial two negotiation rounds, they proposed a "very promising offer" that would lead to a 13.1% monthly salary increase for employees. However, Verdi is demanding a rise equivalent to 29.3%, which, according to managing directors Martin Buhl-Wagner and Markus Geisenberger, is not financially viable. They urge Verdi to display flexibility and return to productive discussions about the in-house collective agreement during the third round of talks in early September.
The Leipzig Trade Show's workers, who participated in a work stoppage, are seeking support from the Court of Justice, as they believe their rights are being violated in the ongoing salary negotiations. Despite the trade show's management proposing a significant salary increase, Verdi argues that the Court of Justice should intervene to ensure a fair wage increase that aligns with the wages in other German trade shows.
