Anyone waiting for packages or letters in the coming days may have to be patient. In the wage dispute with the post office, the Verdi union relies on warning strikes.
Recipients of letters and parcels must be prepared for delays due to a warning strike at the post office on Friday.
The Verdi union has called on workers in all Deutsche Post letter and parcel centers to walk out all day after the second round of collective bargaining for around 160,000 employees ended without a result. Verdi has already announced further walkouts for the following days.
The union is demanding 15 percent more wages and salaries. The majority of Verdi members at Swiss Post have a low income and cannot cope with real wage losses, the employee representatives argue. The last tariff increase in January 2022 was 2 percent.
The company denies the claim. The assumption that wage increases could be passed on through price increases is wrong. The Post refers to the price regulation for the letter and parcel business in Germany.
At the same time, the company recently spoke of constructive discussions. This creates the basis for the third round of negotiations on February 8th and 9th to “submit an offer that will be based on a fair balance between the justified interests of employees and the economic realities of Post & Paket Deutschland”.
Even without strikes, there are more complaints about delivery defects. Last year, the Federal Network Agency’s postal complaints office registered almost three times as many as in 2021. The complaints are directed against the entire industry. However, most of the requests to speak about delayed or lost shipments relate to the market leader. The company points to a high level of sick leave and a generally difficult search for workers. Swiss Post has announced that it intends to improve the quality of delivery.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
