Strikes at Food and Pharma Hubs Escalate as ver.di Presses for 7% Pay Rise in German Wholesale Trade
04.06.2026 - 08:05:23 | boerse-global.de
Wholesale strikes in Berlin and Brandenburg are now targeting the most sensitive links in the supply chain. After the first round of talks yielded no offer, the ver.di union has widened walkouts to include food distribution centres and pharmaceutical wholesalers, actions that ripple instantly through the region's logistics network.
The dispute covers more than 53,000 employees in the wholesale and foreign-trade sector. ver.di is demanding a 7% monthly pay increase with a minimum of €220 extra, and an additional €200 per month for apprentices. The new contract would run for 12 months. The employer side has yet to table a concrete wage proposal, pushing the union toward escalation.
The second wave of walkouts began on 3 June 2023, following an initial round on 15 May that hit Metro, Edeka, Rewe in Oranienburg, and Penny in Großbeeren, plus pharmaceutical distributors Alliance Healthcare, Phoenix and Sanacorp. Now the pressure is turning more intense as strikers focus on the most vulnerable points in the supply chain.
A separate but overlapping conflict is fraying the regional retail sector. Roughly 139,700 workers in Berlin and 80,000 in Brandenburg are waiting for a deal after the first negotiating round on 1 June collapsed. The employers' initial offer – six months without any increase, then 2% and later another 1.5% – was rejected by ver.di on 2 June as a provocation. The union's retail demands: 7% more pay, at least €222 extra per month, a minimum hourly wage of €14.90, and €150 more for trainees. The peace obligation expired for Berlin retail staff but remains in force in Brandenburg until 30 June. A new round is scheduled for 23 June.
Beyond the trade sector, a broader protest wave has washed across Berlin and Brandenburg. In waste management, ALBA reached an agreement on 2 June after a five-day strike: workers get 3% more pay retroactively from 1 May, followed by 2.5% in early 2027. At ALBA Uckermark the same day saw the first strike in company history, with demands for higher monthly wages and better holiday rules. In healthcare, staff at the Sana Kliniken Senftenberg and GLG Eberswalde protested on 2 June, followed by the Achenbach-Krankenhaus in Königs Wusterhausen on 3 June. A large demonstration is planned at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on 11 June. Union leadership has also drawn "red lines" on possible social reform – challenging the retirement age or the right to strike would trigger widespread protests, they warn, as high-level political talks are set for 10 June.
The industrial unrest is part of a broader picture painted by the regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK). In a 2 June report, the IHK noted that Berlin businesses face multiple risks, from trade barriers to reform gridlock that is weighing on investment plans and the overall business mood. As the strike days mount, the pressure on wholesale employers to come to the table is growing – but no new negotiation date has yet been announced.
