German Confectionery Workers Join Broader Strike Wave as Wage Negotiations Stall
Published on 06/21/2026 at 20:32 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A growing wave of walkouts is hitting Germany's sweets industry, with employees at the Storck plant in Halle (Westphalia) called to a warning strike on Monday. The job stoppage, organized by the Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) union, is scheduled from 3:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., with a rally planned for 6:00 a.m.
The industrial action comes after stalled talks in the confectionery sector. NGG is demanding a 5.8 percent wage increase—with a floor of €230 per month—on a twelve-month contract. The union argues that the employer's current proposal would amount to a real-wage loss. Management has countered with a phased offer: 1.9 percent as of May 1, 2026, followed by another 1.5 percent on May 1, 2027, plus a 0.4 percent pension component worth roughly €15. That deal would span 24 months. The next round of bargaining at Storck is set for June 30.
Over the weekend, similar tensions flared at Lorenz Snacks in Hankensbüttel, Lower Saxony. About 70 workers in production and logistics stopped work for eight hours on Saturday. NGG is pressing the same 5.8 percent demand over twelve months there, while the employer insists on a six-month wage freeze as a precondition. Further negotiations are scheduled for Monday in Hanover.
NGG also highlighted income disparities in the region, pointing to data from the state statistical office showing that the district of Gütersloh has one income millionaire for every 820 employees.
The confectionery strikes are unfolding alongside a broader labor dispute in German retail. On Friday, nationwide warning strikes hit chains including Ikea, Kaufland, Primark, and H&M. In Saarland, roughly 100 workers at an Ikea branch walked out. The Verdi union accuses the furniture giant of planning job cuts despite posting a record revenue of over €6 billion in 2024.
Labor unrest has also reached the logistics sector. In Erfurt, talks on a social plan for Zalando's logistics center were declared deadlocked on Saturday. The works council rejected management's proposal as insufficient, sending the case to a mediation board. The facility is slated to close by September 30, affecting roughly 2,000 jobs.
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