The union wants to increase the pressure in the ongoing collective negotiations with further work stoppages. In some places, consumers could find themselves standing in front of closed Postbank branches.
In the collective bargaining dispute at Postbank, the Verdi union is increasing the pressure with renewed warning strikes. Verdi called on employees of Postbank branches and call centers nationwide to go on two-day strikes starting this Wednesday (March 6).
“We assume that the majority of the branches will remain closed on both days and that there will also be major problems with accessibility on the service hotlines,” said Verdi negotiator Jan Duscheck. He criticized the employer’s offer so far as being very far from a “negotiable compromise corridor”.
Verdi is demanding 15.5 percent more money for around 12,000 employees in the Deutsche Bank Group with a Postbank collective agreement, but at least an increase in salaries of 600 euros. The German Bank Employees Association wants to raise 14.5 percent more money for employees at Postbank, Postbank branch sales, PCC Services and BCB. The first warning strikes in the conflict took place in mid-February.
The collective bargaining parties had already reached an agreement on another issue shortly before Christmas: protection against dismissal, which would have expired at the end of January, was extended. Deutsche Bank promised that it would not lay off employees for operational reasons in its private customer bank in Germany until the end of September 2024. The unions put pressure on this issue after the financial institution announced at the end of October that it would close up to 250 of the 550 Postbank branches by mid-2026 and also cut staff.
Source: Stern
