German mail workers win 5.7 pct raise over 2 years
German postal workers win 5.7 percent raise over 2 years in deal following string of walkouts
BERLIN (AP) -- German postal workers have won a 5.7 pay raise over two years in a deal that follows a string of short walkouts. It's one of several current disputes in which unions sought hefty increases.
The ver.di union and mail company Deutsche Post AG reached the deal for some 132,000 workers Friday.
They will get a 3.1 percent increase on Aug. 1, followed by another 2.6 percent in October 2014. The deal runs through May 2015.
Ver.di went into talks seeking a 6 percent hike and staged repeated "warning strikes" in recent days to underpin its demand. In separate negotiations, the IG Metall union is currently pushing for a 5.5 percent raise over a one-year period for workers in Germany's key manufacturing sector.
The demands reflect the German economy's relative health.
