A short-notice warning strike at Deutsche Post today left millions of letters in Germanyundelivered but parcels largely got through to customers.
Public services union Verdi yesterday called a warning strike for today to step up pressure onthe company after the latest round of collective pay talks over a new 12-month contract on Monday(April 15) failed to reach agreement.
The union is seeking a 6% pay increase for the 132,000 postal employees and a new pay agreementfor the 43,000 civil servants at Deutsche Post. The next round of talks is due on April 25.
Verdi claimed that 3,400 postal workers in various parts of the country, including Berlin,Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Bonn, joined the strike action, meaning that some 2.3 millionletters and more than 100,000 parcels could not be delivered. Deutsche Post delivers some 64million letters and three million parcels per working day in Germany.
The union warned that further regional warning strikes would take place in the coming days. “Ourmembers are highly determined. We have the clear expectation that the employer must present anoffer suitable for agreement in the next round of talks,” said Andrea Kocsis, Verdi deputychairperson and head of the negotiating team.
In response, Deutsche Post admitted there had been “delays” in letter delivery today but claimedparcel deliveries “have only been affected to a minor degree at present”.
Jürgen Gerdes, head of Deutsche Post DHL’s mail division, stressed: “We are doing everything wecan to keep the impact of the warning strikes as low as possible for our customers.” The companyhas set up a hotline enabling customers to check if their items are likely to be delayed due towarning strikes.
