Verdi decides on retail warning strikes for Christmas
The Verdi trade union intends to continue its warning strikes in the wage dispute in the retail and mail order sector in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland during the Christmas period. This was unanimously agreed by the bargaining committees, the union's chief negotiator, Monika Di Silvestre, announced on Friday in response to an inquiry. "The striking community is in a good and combative mood."
Verdi's call is in response to unsuccessful wage talks with the trade associations at state level. Most recently, the employers' side had called on the union to find a solution in top-level talks at federal level, said Di Silvestre. The Rhineland-Palatinate trade association declared the end of talks with the union at the beginning of November as no progress had been made.
The trade associations proposed a two-stage increase in collective wages of at least 10 percent with a minimum hourly wage of 13 euros over a period of two years. This offer also included a tax and duty-free inflation compensation bonus totaling 750 euros.
According to Verdi, accepting this offer would mean a real wage loss for employees in view of inflation. Instead, the union is demanding at least 2.50 euros more per hour in all regions and a duration of one year. In total, around 150,000 employees in Rhineland-Palatinate and around 36,000 in Saarland are affected.
The proposed tariffs by the trade associations, consisting of a two-stage wage increase and a bonus, were deemed insufficient by Verdi, potentially leading to significant real wage losses for retail trade employees. Due to the ongoing wage dispute, Verdi has decided to impose retail trade tariffs in the form of warning strikes during the Christmas period.
Source: www.dpa.com
