Overview
- Verdi, which called nationwide warning strikes for Friday, plans large rallies in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Dortmund.
- Employers put 2% from November 2026 and 1.5% from August 2027 on the table, while the union demands 7% or at least €225 a month.
- Germany’s retail group HDE says there is hardly any room for bigger pay rises because of tough economic conditions.
- In northern states, walkouts on Friday and Saturday will hit warehouses for Penny, Rewe and Lekkerland as well as Kaufland sites and H&M stores, and medicine supply will be kept secure despite pharma wholesaler participation.
- The trade sector employs about 5.2 million people, and Verdi in NRW warns shoppers could see some store closures, slower checkouts and unstaffed counters on the bridge day.