(Update: Additional details such as participant numbers and affected businesses added - 3rd paragraph)
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Customers should not expect major shopping disruptions due to warning strikes in the retail sector, according to the industry association HDE. 'We currently have no reports of store closures or similar incidents nationwide, so there will be no impact on retail customers today,' HDE collective bargaining director Steven Haarke told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
The food retail sector also expects no perceptible effects. Supermarkets and discounters are open as usual, said Philipp Hennerkes, Managing Director of the industry association BVLH. Supply is guaranteed.
In the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations in the retail sector, the Verdi union called for warning strikes this Friday. According to the union, more than 5,000 employees from the retail, wholesale, and foreign trade sectors are participating. A Verdi spokesperson stated that more than 200 businesses are being struck, including branches of Edeka, Rewe, Kaufland, Penny, Douglas, Zara, H&M, Metro, and Ikea. Strike rallies are also taking place in Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Dortmund.
Verdi Demands 7 Percent Wage Increase
In Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, employers presented their first collective bargaining offers for the retail sector this week. The union rejected them. Verdi federal board member Silke Zimmer spoke of 'poisoned offers' that would not even compensate for inflation.
Employers are offering a 2 percent increase starting in November and a further 1.5 percent from August 2027. Verdi is demanding a 7 percent wage increase, with a minimum of 225 euros.
HDE: 'We Need a Joint and Responsible Solution'
Negotiations for the retail, wholesale, and foreign trade sectors have been underway in the first regional districts since April. HDE collective bargaining director Haarke warned: 'What we need is a joint and responsible solution for our industry in this difficult economic situation, characterized by historically weak consumer sentiment, rapidly rising unemployment, and increasing corporate insolvencies.' Employers remain ready for dialogue.
According to Verdi, around 5.2 million people work in the German trade sector, 3.4 million of whom are in retail. The previous collective bargaining negotiations lasted more than a year. Ultimately, retail employees saw a total income increase of around 14 percent for the 2023 to 2025 period. Collective bargaining coverage in the industry has been declining for years and remains comparatively low./cr/DP/stk
