TNT lodges lawsuit against German state in dispute over minimum wage
TNT NV has lodged a lawsuit with a Berlin commercial court in a bid to have the alternative minimum wage it is paying its German-based workers to be declared valid in a dispute the Dutch postal company is locked in around the liberalisation of the German postal market.
TNT is paying its German workers 7.50 eur per hour and has filed the lawsuit against the German Finance Ministry and the Social Affairs Ministry, TNT spokesman Pieter Schaffels said.
Schaffels added that by implication, the lawsuit will also affect the minimum wage of 8-9.80 eur that Deutsche Post AG has already agreed on with trade union Verdi.
TNT claims legislation by the German Parliament imposing the minimum wage at the level paid by Deutsche Post on the national postal market is hindering liberalisation of the German market, stressing that only Deutsche Post can afford to have the minimum wage set at that level.
The Dutch postal group pointed out that, unlike its rivals, Deutsche Post enjoys a VAT exemption for 40 pct of its operations in Germany.
TNT is currently active in the value-added branch of the German postal market — where it sends letters picked up after 5 pm and delivers them by midday the following day — and has a minimum wage of 7.50 eur.
It had initially planned to compete with Deutsche Post in the universal sector from Jan 1, but has postponed any further investment in the German market.
