Warnstreiks im Handel: Gewerkschaft Verdi fordert höhere Löhne

Verdi Calls for Nationwide Warning Strikes

Amid ongoing collective bargaining negotiations in retail, the union Verdi has called for another nationwide warning strike. Both retail and wholesale trade across all federal states are affected. The planned strike rallies will take place in several cities, including Kiel on Thursday and Erfurt, Berlin, Bochum, and Saarbrücken on Friday.

Employer Offers Meet Rejection

The employers‘ side has already made wage offers in some federal states, which have been rejected by Verdi as insufficient. Silke Zimmer, a board member of the union, described the offers as „simply outrageous“ and criticized that despite the strong economic position of retail corporations, employees are being offered wage losses. This attitude could have serious implications for employee motivation and retention, potentially jeopardizing long-term shareholder value.

Strikes as a Pressure Tool

With the strikes, Verdi aims to compel employers to present a negotiable offer. In May, the union had already called for the first nationwide warning strikes, which saw participation from over 5,000 employees. More than 200 locations, including well-known branches of Edeka, Kaufland, Douglas, H&M, and Ikea, were affected.

Demands and Employer Reactions

Verdi is demanding a wage increase of seven percent, at least 225 euros, for a duration of twelve months. In contrast, employers in federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg have only offered an increase of two percent starting in November and a further 1.5 percent from August 2027, which is considered inadequate for a two-year term.

Economic Framework Conditions

Negotiations for retail as well as wholesale trade began back in April. The German Retail Association (HDE) previously stated that due to difficult economic conditions, there is „hardly any room“ for wage increases. This raises the question of how stagnant wage development could impact the competitiveness of the sector.

Employment in Retail

According to Verdi, around 5.2 million people are employed in retail in Germany, with 3.4 million in the retail sector. Previous collective bargaining negotiations lasted over a year and resulted in an income increase of about 14 percent for the years 2023 to 2025. However, the declining collective bargaining coverage in the sector could weaken the bargaining position of employees in the long term.