German Retail Workers Stage Third Day of Strikes as ver.di Escalates Pay Dispute

ver.di union calls third strike in Baden-Württemberg, demanding €300/month raise; employers offer far less, with new negotiations scheduled across several states.

Talks in Germany’s retail and wholesale sector are set to resume next week with both sides still far apart. The union ver.di called its third consecutive strike day in Baden-Württemberg on Saturday, hitting locations in Stuttgart, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Konstanz and the Fils-Neckar-Alb region. Workers at Kaufland, Primark, Zara, H&M, Cos, Ikea and Obi were asked to walk out.

The walkouts follow a nationwide strike day on Friday, with rallies in Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hannover and Wiesbaden. In North Rhine-Westphalia, employees at famila, Rewe, Penny, Metro and several steel and pharmaceutical wholesalers joined the action. Around Mannheim and Heidelberg, full-day strikes covered Dossenheim, Walldorf and Edingen-Neckarhausen, with a midday rally in Heidelberg.

ver.di’s demands differ slightly by region but all aim at protecting real wages. In Baden-Württemberg, the union wants a flat pay increase of €300 per month plus €150 more for trainees, with a 12-month contract duration. Nationally, the call is for 7% more pay – at least €225 per month – and a minimum hourly wage of €14.90.

Employers have put forward far lower offers. In Baden-Württemberg, a June proposal offered just 3.5% over two years. In North Rhine-Westphalia, companies proposed 2.4% from November 2026 and another 2% from August 2027. The German Retail Association (HDE) says firms have prepared for the strikes and expects no serious supply disruptions.

According to ver.di, approximately 5.2 million workers in the retail and wholesale sector are affected by the current round of bargaining. The previous collective agreement, covering 2023 to 2025, gave employees a total increase of 14%. The union argues that further wage gains are urgently needed given current economic pressures.

New negotiation rounds are already scheduled. Monday will see talks for Hesse, Lower Saxony and Bremen. Baden-Württemberg’s third round is set for Wednesday, followed by wholesale negotiations in the southwest on Friday. ver.di negotiator Wolfgang Krüger is pushing employers to table an improved offer to break the deadlock.