Amid nationwide warning strikes in the retail sector this Friday, members of The Left party (Die Linke) have demanded higher wages for industry workers. Pascal Meiser, the party’s spokesperson on trade union policy, told the “Rheinische Post” that without the millions of people working in wholesale and retail, “not much would run in our country”. He stated that greater respect and better pay for the labor would have been overdue for a long time.
Meiser added that it is entirely understandable why workers are using the strikes to press their demands for decent wage increases. He strongly criticized the Federal Government, calling it “an embarrassment” that it continues to stand idly by regarding wage dumping and the failure of collective bargaining in the retail sector. According to Meiser, it would be possible, and necessary, for collective agreements to be more easily declared generally binding for an entire sector, even if faced with resistance from industry associations.
In contrast, Steven Haarke, the trade official for the German Retail Association, acknowledged the sector’s challenges but urged collaboration. Haarke pointed out that the industry is grappling with the most severe economic crisis in two decades, noting that the slump in consumption reached an absolute low due to global wars and rising unemployment. He stressed the necessity of finding a joint and responsible solution and affirmed that employers remain ready for dialogue.