German union issues cash strike threat for Christmas shopping season

A German trade union is threatening industrial action which would result in empty cash machines and no cash service for shops in the run-up to Christmas.

The dispute in the German cash and valuables transport industry involves members of the verdi union, who could go on strike as early as Wednesday if a compromise with employers is not reached by Tuesday.

Negotiators are meeting at Frankfurt Airport to try to find a solution to the protracted wage dispute for around 10,000 employees.

Germany’s Association of Cash and Valuables Services (BDGW) has offered wage increases of between 5.4% to 7.12% over a period of two years, depending on the federal state, in addition to a fixed annual one-off payment.

“The negotiations on Tuesday are the last chance to avert strikes before Christmas,” said verdi negotiator Sonja Austermühle. Otherwise, she said, the strikes would lead to cash transport being cancelled and ATMs not being filled.

BDGW negotiator Hans-Jörg Hisam warned the strikes would cause “massive and lasting damage” to the association’s companies. “Such damage would inevitably affect the employees,” Hisam said.