German Retail Strike Hits Major Chains as Wage Talks Stall – Union Demands 7%, Employers Offer 4.4% Over Two Years

Ver.di union strike hits IKEA, H&M, Rewe, demanding 7% pay increase; employers counter with 2.4%-2% over two years. Rallies in 7 cities.

Tens of thousands of workers in Germany’s retail and wholesale sectors walked off the job on Friday, responding to a coordinated strike call from the Ver.di union. The walkouts targeted a broad spectrum of retailers, from supermarkets and discounters to furniture stores, DIY outlets, fashion chains, and electronics retailers. Among the companies affected are IKEA, Kaufland, Rewe, Penny, Metro, H&M, Zara, and Primark. Wholesale operations also faced stoppages, including steel traders Schütt Stahlhandel and Carl Spaeter as well as pharmaceutical distributors Sanacorp and Phoenix.

Ver.di is pressing for a 7% pay increase, with a minimum monthly raise of €225 for retail workers and €250 for those in wholesale. The union also demands a minimum hourly wage of €14.90 in the lowest pay brackets and a €150 boost to apprentice compensation. The current claim covers a one-year term.

Employers, represented by the German Retail Federation (HDE), have put forward a counteroffer spanning two years: a 2.4% increase from November 2026 followed by a further 2% from August 2027. In some regional negotiations, such as in North Rhine-Westphalia, the package begins with zero-percent months. The HDE says stores are well prepared and does not expect any noticeable impact on supply.

Rallies were planned in seven cities: Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hannover, Braunschweig, Oldenburg, and Wiesbaden. The union has already scheduled further negotiation dates. For the retail sector, talks are set for July 7 in Hesse and the Lower Saxony-Bremen region, with another central round on July 9. In wholesale, bargaining resumes on July 10 in Baden-Württemberg, and a further date is reserved for August 11. Ver.di has warned that more walkouts could follow if no improved offer is tabled.