Verdi Widens Walkouts Across Germany, Hitting Ikea Stores and Wholesale Hubs
18.06.2026 - 16:39:44 | boerse-global.de
Union members at more than half of Ikea's 54 German outlets walked off the job this Friday, part of a broader wave of coordinated strikes across the retail and wholesale sectors. The Swedish furniture retailer becomes the main target as the Verdi trade union escalates a wage dispute that has already drawn thousands of workers to demonstrations in Hannover and disrupted logistics sites in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Verdi is demanding a 7% pay increase for retail employees, with a floor of €225 more per month on a 12-month contract. Employers countered with an offer of 2% starting November 2026 and an additional 1.5% from August 2027, tied to a two-year term. The union rejected that proposal outright. The previous retail wage deal, covering 2023 to 2025, delivered a total 14% hike after negotiations dragged on for more than a year.
Ikea said it respects the right to strike but is working to minimise disruption for customers. The German Retail Association (HDE) noted that companies have developed routines for handling walkouts.
The pressure is not limited to furniture retail. On Wednesday, workers in North Rhine-Westphalia staged coordinated stoppages at logistics centres run by Edeka and Lekkerland in Oberhausen, and at the Metro wholesale depot in Essen — the second strike there in recent weeks. The Essen sales floor remained open during the action.
Those strikes are timed to coincide with the third round of wage talks for wholesale and foreign-trade employees in North Rhine-Westphalia, which began today. Verdi is pressing for the same 7% increase in that sector, with a higher minimum of €250 per month, plus an additional €150 for apprentices. The union describes the employers' current offer as insufficient.
In Bremen and Lower Saxony, thousands of workers downed tools on Wednesday and travelled to a central rally in Hannover. The region’s wholesale and foreign-trade workforce totals roughly 150,000, including about 25,000 in the state of Bremen alone.
The Wholesale, Foreign Trade, and Services Employers’ Association (AGA) pushed back, saying the difficult overall economic climate leaves companies with little room to meet union demands. No resolution appears in sight.
