Strike at Nestlé in Schwerin: escalate wages of the employees!

Strike at Nestlé in Schwerin: escalate wages of the employees!

Schwerin, Deutschland - There is currently a lively hustle and bustle in the Schwerin Nestlé plant, where the union food-enjoyment restaurant (NGG) has accessed a warning strike. On Friday afternoon, about 70 employees in the late shift left the work, and production in the coffee capsule plant was still quiet for a full eight hours. The step became necessary after the second round of the collective bargaining failed and the negotiations are about urgently needed wage increases. Employees specifically request 250 euros more per month with a term of one year to close the wage gap between East and West, which increases.

These problems are not new. According to a report by NDR , a increase in wage was agreed in the west. In contrast, employers in this region offer only 2.6 percent wage increases for this year and 2.3 percent for the next year. The NGG has therefore announced nationwide strikes in the nutritional industry in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which should begin next week.

The wage situation in the east

The problem of wage scissors is becoming increasingly pressing. According to the DGB , the wage difference between Eastern and West Germany for full-time is currently 19 percent. East Germans work statistically from October 22nd of a year, as their salary is not sufficient in this period compared to the West German average.

Currently currently earn employees in the east an average of EUR 3,563.04 gross per month, while in the west this salary is around 4,401.50 euros. The DGB emphasizes that the economy in East Germany has grown more in recent years, but that employees only benefit below average. The tariff bond, which could ensure that wages rise, is only half as strong in the east with only 44 percent of employees as in the west. This shows how important the political demands for more collective agreements are to increase wages.

The next round of negotiation will take place next Monday, June 15th. The employee representatives are optimistic that a solution will occur in the upcoming session. It remains to be seen whether the pressure of the strikes is sufficient to enforce the employee claims and finally close the wage gap.