BONN (dpa-AFX) - Recipients of letters and parcels must prepare for delays due to a warning strike at Deutsche Post on Friday. The Verdi trade union has called on employees at all Deutsche Post letter and parcel centers to stage all-day work stoppages after the second round of collective bargaining for around 160,000 employees ended without a result. Verdi has already announced further walkouts for the following days.

The union is demanding 15 percent more pay. The majority of Verdi members at the Post have low incomes and cannot cope with real wage losses, the employee representatives argue. The last wage increase in January 2022 was 2 percent, they say.

The company rejects the demand. It says the assumption that wage increases can be passed on through price increases is wrong. The Post refers to the price regulation for the letter and parcel business in Germany.

At the same time, the company recently spoke of constructive discussions. It said this would lay the groundwork for presenting "an offer that will be based on a fair balance between the justified interests of employees and the economic realities of Post & Paket Deutschland" in the third round of negotiations on February 8 and 9.

Even without strikes, there are more complaints about delivery shortcomings. Last year, the Federal Network Agency's Postal Complaints Office registered almost three times as many as in 2021, with complaints directed at the entire industry. However, most of the verbal complaints about delayed or lost items relate to the market leader. The company points to a high level of sick leave and a generally difficult search for workers. The Post has announced its intention to improve the quality of delivery./rea/DP/stk