Post-strike: Warnings of package and letter delays!

Post-strike: Warnings of package and letter delays!

The Verdi union has called for comprehensive warning strikes in Germany at Deutsche Post. This step takes place as part of an ongoing tariff conflict, which is characterized by the increasing cost of living and the demands for higher wages. The employees are invited to take part in "fully layer warning strikes", which will lead to significant failures and delays in the delivery of packages and letters. In Hesse, the strike focuses on Darmstadt and Pfungstadt in the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg. The strike meeting in Darmstadt begins at 10.30 a.m., and expectations are high that these measures will put pressure on employers to reach an agreement, such as hessenschau.de reported.

The event for the warning strike are the long existing demands of Verdi for a wage plus of seven percent and additional vacation days. These demands aim to help employees master the high cost of living. Verdi-Vice Andrea Kocsis emphasized that the second round of negotiations did not bring any tangible results. The employers, on the other hand, reject applications as unavailable and refer to the low scope for wage increases, which they see due to the falling mail quantities in the digital age and a high investment requirement. This argument is also supported by Deutsche Post, which also announced that the mail was sent at the beginning of the year by 10.5 percent, so that the postage is now 95 cents, such as zdf.de indicated.

background of the wage negotiations

In the context of current economic challenges, the situation is not only limited to Germany. An extensive study by University of Europe entitled "All Rise - Automatic Wage Increases in Treaty Treaties in Europe" shows that unions in many European countries have similar problems. The cost of living has risen sharply since 2021, which is mainly due to interruptions of the supply chain, rising energy prices due to the Ukraine conflict and high corporate profits. Inflation has caused this development to rise to double -digit values ​​in many parts of Europe, which significantly impairs the purchasing power of the employees and has thus become the central theme of the collective bargaining.

The traditional negotiation approaches of the unions, which often discuss fixed wage increases, are now facing new challenges. Especially in times of high and unpredictable inflation, concepts such as automatic wage increases become more important. These so-called "cost-of living adjustments" (Cola) offer a way to automatically adapt wages to inflation, which gives employees a certain level of security. The University of Europe reports that such systems become popular in the current economic situation and are already tested in many countries to secure the purchasing power of the employees.

The next round of negotiations between the Verdi union and the employers of Deutsche Post is scheduled for February 12 and 13. Preparations for these talks are underway, while the employees are involved in the warning strikes, the effects of which will be noticeable in the coming days.