Wage dispute in the retail sector: H&M workers on strike
In the deadlocked wage dispute in the Hamburg retail and mail order sector, employees of the H&M clothing chain walked off the job on Friday. At a rally in front of the German headquarters in Spitaler Straße, they displayed banners with the slogan "No business without us". Strikers from stores in Lower Saxony, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also took part, according to the trade union Verdi. Verdi is demanding an increase in wages and salaries of 2.50 euros per hour for retail employees as well as a pensionable minimum wage of 13.50 euros per hour.
"Many retail employees have told us that they are worried about their future," said Verdi negotiator Heike Lattekamp, according to the statement. "The massive price increases, also caused by the retail groups, have almost completely eroded their disposable income." According to Verdi, the negotiations will continue on November 9. "H&M is a member of the employers' association and has the power to influence the course of the negotiations," the union emphasized.
The ongoing wage dispute in the retail sector has led several trade unions, including Verdi, to organize strikes across various regions like Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. Despite the strikes, H&M, a member of the employers' association, has yet to agree to Verdi's demand for a 2.50 euros per hour wage increase and a pensionable minimum wage of 13.50 euros per hour.
Source: www.dpa.com
