Postal workers union Verdi is threatening more strike action at Deutsche Post after the two sides failed to reach any agreement in two days of negotiations this week.
Prior to the talks on Wednesday and Thursday (May 20-21) Verdi organised further warning strikes and also sought an injunction over its allegations that Deutsche Post was illegally using civil servants to replace striking workers.
Both parties yesterday accused the other of failing to make any offer to resolve the long-running dispute over pay and working times for some 140,000 mail and parcel workers covered by the Deutsche Post collective agreement, as well as the controversial transfer of part-time parcel delivery jobs into lower-paid full-time jobs at new regional subsidiaries with separate collective pay agreements.
Verdi wants a reduction in weekly working hours from 38.5 to 36 hours without any equivalent reduction in payment and has demanded a 5.5% pay rise. The union says a shorter working week would compensate for what it describes as Deutsche Post’s ‘breach of contract’ by creating the 49 regional parcel delivery companies.
Verdi’s deputy chairwoman Andrea Kocsis, who is in charge of negotiations, said: “The company refuses to make any compromises over our demands. Employees will find an answer to this.” But she added: “It can’t go on like this. After two months of talks there must be a breakthrough in June.” The sixth round of talks is scheduled for June 1-2 in Berlin.
Deutsche Post said Verdi failed to respond to its offer of changes in working times and longer protection against compulsory redundancies, but called on the union to remain in constructive negotiations. HR director Melanie Kreis said: “An attitude of denial that makes no contribution to securing our competitiveness is not a sign of a desire to reach an agreement.”
The company added that some 6,000 employees are now working at the regional delivery companies and the number is expected to rise to about 8,500 by the end of this year. It reiterated that these staff would be covered by regional collective agreements that are 50% higher than the legal minimum wage.
