Germany: new postal services’ union (GNBZ) can’t bargain for collective agreements, Federal Labor Court says

Victory for Verdi. This decree puts an end to a long legal procedure Ver.di started after the creating, in 2007, of a rival union, the new postal services’ union (GNBZ). According to Ver.di, GNBZ was a “pseudo-union” created at the instigation of two large businesses, PIN AG and the Germany subsidiary of Holland’s TNT, only to allow for the negotiation of minimum wage below that negotiated between Ver.di and the Post’s employers’ federation, dominated by the Deutsche Post AG. On October 30, 2008, the Labor Court of Cologne gave satisfaction to Ver.di, acknowledging that the GNBZ lacked representativeness and independence from the NBZ and BdKEP employers’ organizations (see our dispatch No. 080847). Consequently, the collective agreement introducing minimum wage amounting to €6 in new Lander and €7.5 in former Lander, negotiated by the GNBZ and the NBZ and BdKEP employers’ organizations, was obsolete. This ruling was then confirmed by another decree, pronounced in the second instance court, in May 2009, by the Regional Labor Court of Cologne. It is now permanent.
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the Post’s employers’ federation, dominated by the Deutsche Post AG. On October 30, 2008, the Labor Court of Cologne gave satisfaction to Ver.di, acknowledging that the GNBZ lacked representativeness and independence from the NBZ and BdKEP employers’ organizations (see our dispatch No. 080847). Consequently, the collective agreement introducing minimum wage amounting to €6 in new Lander and €7.5 in former Lander, negotiated by the GNBZ and the NBZ and BdKEP employers’ organizations, was obsole

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