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Delivery services across Germany were hit by a limited strike by some 77,000 postal workers that resulted in 10% of letters and parcels not reaching their destinations as scheduled, Deutsche Post reported on Friday.<\/p>\n
It said that deliveries would be delayed into Saturday. Delayed mail would be delivered over coming days, the DHL subsidiary said.<\/p>\n
Trade union verdi has repeatedly called out its members on limited strikes over recent weeks in support of a pay demand well in excess of what Deutsche Post is offering.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the strike led to a quarter of all parcels not being delivered on schedule. Further strikes are planned for Saturday.<\/p>\n
Workers were showing the company that they were expecting considerably more than what was on offer by means of this expanded limited strike action, verdi chief negotiator Andrea Kocsis said.<\/p>\n
She said the union, Germany’s second largest with some 1.9 million members, expected an improved offer from Deutsche Post in the fourth round of talks scheduled for next week.<\/p>\n
Verdi is demanding a rise of 7% over a new 12-month contract for 170,000 postal and logistics workers at Deutsche Post. It is also calling for additional days of paid leave to compensate for increased workload.<\/p>\n
Deutsche Post is offering an initial 1.8% followed by a further 2% over a 27-month contract.<\/p>\n
Talks between the two sides are set to go into their fourth round on Monday. Verdi has called repeated temporary strikes over recent weeks, with resultant delays to deliveries.<\/p>\n
Deutsche Post maintains that large pay rises are not feasible in the face of high investment costs and fewer letters for delivery as digitalization replaces physical mail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n