German postal strike ends
Deutsche Post and the postal workers’ union Verdi reached an agreement over pay and working conditions on Sunday (5 July) that will bring an end to the recent series of postal strikes. According to local sources, Deutsche Post has agreed to give postal workers a pay rise of 2% in 2016 and 1.7% in 2017, plus a one-off payment of 400 euros this year.
For its part, Verdi has agreed to let Deutsche Post move forward with plans for new parcel delivery activities, for which the company plans to hire 10,000 people who will be on different contracts from the staff in the letters and traditional mail division.
A spokesperson for Deutsche Post described the agreement as “the complete package, which offers our workers security and a future as well as allowing for growth in the company.”
Andrea Kocsis, Verdi’s chief negotiator commented: “We are very happy with the agreement. It fulfills the desire of Post employees for the correct amount of security. Without their strikes that wouldn’t have been possible.”
Although the dispute is now over, it will take some time for the postal workers to clear the backlog of undelivered letters and parcels that has built up over the strike.
