An all-out postal strike is looming in Germany from May onwards following the failure of talksbetween Deutsche Post and trade union Verdi on Friday. The two sides were unable to agree on a pay
and working conditions deal, covering a pay increase for this year, future working times for130,000 employees and a job guarantee up to 2011.Deutsche Post said it had made an “attractive” offer, including guaranteeing no compulsoryredundancies up to June 30, 2011, a 5.5% pay rise over two years, and a “moderate” increase of 30minutes a week in working hours for contractual employees. Civil servants, who are covered byseparate contracts, would work 41 hours instead of 38.5 hours.
The postal operator said staff were more interested in a job guarantee and higher wages thanin the issue of working time, and stressed it remained open for further negotiations.
But Verdi, which had sought a 7% rise and 10 fewer working days a year, announced that it hadrejected the offer. Deputy chairwoman Andrea Kocsis said it was “unfair” to ask staff to workeffectively 2.5 – 3.5 hours a week more when the Post had made a profit of €2 billion and wasincreasing the dividend by 20%.
Verdi will ballot members April 25-29 on strike action, and is threatening that an all-outstrike could start on May 2. Further warning strikes involving 800 staff at nine sorting centrestook place in the night from Sunday to Monday.
