After five failed negotiations on a new collective agreement and the first warning strikes in the brewing sector, the unions are calling for a first 24-hour strike from Sunday evening. The start for employees in shifts is Sunday at 10 p.m., according to a broadcast. For everyone else, the strike starts on Monday. According to the workers’ representatives, the strike could only be averted with a “useful offer”.
“The last offer from employers was seven percent. This is only 0.1 percent above the rolling rate of inflation and is therefore not acceptable to us. We continue to demand sustainable wage and salary increases, inflation compensation is not enough,” said workers’ side negotiators Bianca Reiter (PRO-GE) and Bernhard Hirnschrodt (GPA trade union). They recently demanded 11 percent more wages and salaries. The last eleven hours of negotiations on Friday were unsuccessful.
No strike on “viable bid”
The unions are still willing to talk, it was emphasized. “Should the employers leave their rigid position this weekend and make a viable offer, the strike could be averted.” At the end of November, warning strikes took place at some locations.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
