Update: Ver.di has now further prolonged strike action over Thursday, January 30, 2025.
German trade union ver.di has extended a strike by Deutsche Post employees into a second day. Postal delivery across 13 federal states is affected and delays are expected.
Ver.di has announced that the 17.000 Deutsche Post employees who went out on strike on January 28 will continue industrial action on January 29.
As a result, letters sent by Deutsche Post and parcels sent by DHL, Deutsche Post’s parcel delivery service, will be delayed in major cities across all German federal states, excluding Germany’s city-states of Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.
Letters and packages delivered by other companies operating in Germany, such as GLS, Hermes and UPS, will not be affected by the strike action.
On behalf of Deutsche Post employees, ver.di is demanding the postal company increase pay by 7 percent over the course of a 12-month collective bargaining agreement, add three days of additional holiday leave for all employees and trainees and four days of extra leave for employees and trainees who are ver.di members.
According to the trade union, 90 percent of Deutsche Post employees' gross salary is below the median in Germany. “Significant wage increases for employees is the only way to cope with the high cost of living,” ver.di spokesperson Andrea Kocsis wrote in a press release, explaining that the warning strike was a result of negotiations having faltered thus far.
“Our members will respond with service warning strikes. The message is clear: We are serious and we are ready to fight for our demands,” Kocsis added. The next round of negotiations between ver.di and Deutsche Post aren’t due to take place until February 12 and 13. Further strike action is possible before negotiations continue.
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