The negotiations are not yet complete, as the Hamburg Otto Group has already presented and increased the tariffs for almost 16,000 employees. The Verdi union is still not satisfied.
In the midst of the still unresolved collective bargaining conflict in the retail sector, the Hamburg-based Otto Group is pushing ahead with a voluntary advance collective bargaining increase – but only at the level of employer offers that have been available to date.
Accordingly, the employees of the collective bargaining group companies, such as Otto, Baur and Witt, “before the current collective bargaining negotiations are concluded, their pay will be increased voluntarily by two percent”, as the Otto Group announced on Tuesday. There is also a one-off payment of 300 euros. According to a spokesman, the step applies to almost 16,000 employees.
“The advance fee increase corresponds to a recommendation by the German Trade Association (HDE) to companies that have come through the corona pandemic comparatively well economically,” says the message. Otto Scharner-Wolff, Chief Financial and Human Resources Officer, called the advance fee increase “a sign of appreciation”. One does not want to let the workforce, who have “achieved extraordinary things” in the pandemic, wait any longer until the collective bargaining parties have come to an agreement.
The Verdi union is demanding 4.5 percent more money for a term of 12 months in the current wage round.
The collective bargaining of the retail trade, which is accompanied by warning strikes in many places, is conducted regionally and has accordingly progressed at different levels. While they did not begin until Tuesday in Schleswig-Holstein, for example, negotiations in other areas, such as Bavaria and Lower Saxony, were already in the third round. There, employers are offering wage increases in three steps over a 36-month term, initially by 2.0 percent, in 2022 by 1.4 percent and in 2023 by 2.0 percent. There would also be a one-off payment of 300 euros. Verdi declines this offer.
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.
