New commerce strikes in Germany: Ver.di is preparing Easter actions

“Easter is just around the corner, and so are we!” With this slogan, the German services union Ver.di is continuing its strike and action days in the retail sector this week. After more than ten months of unsatisfactory negotiations on the sectoral collective agreement, Ver.di is once again calling for warning strikes among retail and wholesale workers ahead of the Easter holidays. 

On 28 March 2024, they will target supermarket chains Schwarz Group, the third-largest food retailer in Germany, together with Kaufland and Lidl, which have considerable influence within the sectoral employers’ association HDE. 

“The owner of the Schwarz Group, Dieter Schwarz, is one of the richest Germans. He owes his success to the tireless efforts of his employees. It is a disgrace that an entrepreneur like him has allowed employees to wait more than ten months for a fair, legally secure and collectively agreed pay rise,” explains Silke Zimmer, member of Ver.di federal executive board responsible for commerce. 

Meanwhile, in the last two weeks Edeka, Rewe, Kaufland and other retailers offered wage increases after mounting pressure through the union’s powerful strikes. But they are still not high enough to compensate for the loss of purchasing power from the price increases in 2022/2023. Ver.di insists on demanding a collectively agreed salary increase of at least 2.50 euros per hour for retail employees and a 13 per cent increase in wages in wholesale and foreign trade, amounting to at least 450 euros. 

UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig commented: “It’s unacceptable that workers who ensure that essential products are sold to working families can barely make ends meet, while the big retailers continue to make large profits. Ver.di’s demands are entirely justified, the employers in the sector should listen to them.”