German Retail Workers Walk Out as €14.90 Minimum Wage Demand Hits Deadlock
12.06.2026 - 13:45:13 | boerse-global.de
Warning strikes swept through major fashion retailers across North Rhine-Westphalia on Friday as the Verdi union escalated pressure ahead of the next round of collective bargaining. The walkouts targeted stores operated by H&M, Zara, Primark and TK Maxx, with employees in a dozen cities downing tools for the day.
The industrial action centers on a wage dispute that has seen no movement from the employer side. Verdi is demanding a seven percent increase in salaries — at least €225 more per month — plus a minimum hourly wage of €14.90. For apprentices, the union seeks a monthly raise of €150. The proposed contract would run for twelve months.
“The employers have flatly rejected our demands,” a Verdi spokesperson said. “We need to make clear that the workforce expects a fair share.” The next negotiating session is scheduled for June 30, leaving a window of several weeks for further walkouts.
In the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region, a central rally was planned for Friday in Gütersloh. Workers from Primark in Münster and H&M branches in Ibbenbüren were among those joining the protest. Further strikes have already been announced for Saturday.
Despite the coordinated action, the retailers involved said they do not anticipate major disruptions for shoppers. Customers in cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, Aachen, Dortmund, Bielefeld, Essen, Münster, Neuss, Wuppertal, Iserlohn and Düren may nonetheless encounter reduced service at affected stores.
