Negotiations proposed on December 28 in Hamburg
In the wage dispute in the retail sector, employers have offered a "last chance for an agreement before the end of the year" and proposed negotiations to the service trade union Verdi on December 28 in Hamburg. The German Retail Association (HDE) wants to continue its efforts to conclude the wage negotiations "on the basis of our current offer", explained Steven Haarke, Managing Director of the collective bargaining union, on Thursday.
Verdi boss Frank Werneke had recently criticized the employers for refusing to negotiate.
Verdi is demanding a 2.50 euro increase in hourly wages in the retail and mail order sectors, among others, while in wholesale and foreign trade the union is demanding a 13 percent wage increase, but at least 400 euros per month. The agreement is to run for twelve months.
The employers are offering wage increases of around ten percent over a period of two years and an inflation compensation bonus of 750 euros. "According to the employers' offer, the important collectively agreed salesperson's basic salary in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, would rise from the current 17.37 euros per hour to 19.15 euros per hour from May 1, 2024."
Collective bargaining in the retail sector is conducted on a regional basis. Negotiations take place on different dates depending on the region. According to the HDE, more than 60 collective bargaining rounds have so far failed to produce any results; a top-level meeting between Verdi and the HDE also ended without any agreement. The HDE has therefore now proposed negotiations for the Hamburg collective bargaining area. In the coming year, it will be "much more difficult to reach an agreement", explained Steven Haarke, Managing Director of the collective bargaining organization.
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The service trade union Verdi has accepted the employers' proposal for negotiations in Hamburg on December 28, aiming to resolve the wage dispute in the retail sector before the year's end. Despite Verdi's recent criticism of the employers' unwillingness to negotiate, both parties will now engage in discussions to potentially reach an agreement on wage increases.
Source: www.ntv.de
