Services trade union Verdi announced the start of indefinite strike action at Deutsche Post as of the afternoon of Monday June 08. The announcement comes after collective negotiations broke down following 6 fruitless meetings. On Thursday June 04 management at Deutsche Post had refused to respond to Verdi’s latest proposals. The main bone of contention is the company’s move to establish 49 subsidiaries for low cost DHL Delivery GmbH letters and parcel delivery. This would involve new hires getting paid entry-level salaries of between 10% and 20% less than Deutsche Post collective agreement rates. For its part the small competitor trade union, DPVKom that represents a fair section of the 140,000 employees affected by this move has started polling its members, and it is highly probable that it too will turn to strike action.
Unions out on strike. In today’s Germany one strike can mask another. Following the provisional suspension of the general train drivers strike at the end of May and last week after State kindergarten educators halted their strike, it is now the Germany’s ‘posties’ turn to enter into full-blown conflict starting in the afternoon of Monday June 08.
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