The German trade union verdi is extending its strikes ahead of the fourth round of negotiations in the wage dispute at Deutsche Bank subsidiary Postbank.
On Thursday, in addition to employees in the back-office service units and call centres, verdi is also calling for work stoppages at branches throughout Germany.
“This will once again send a clear signal that all employees are behind the demands for a significant improvement in pay and an extension of protection against dismissal,” verdi negotiator Jan Duscheck said on Tuesday in Berlin.
Strikes have already been taking place in the back offices and call centres since Tuesday.
The intensification of the strikes ahead of the next round of negotiations in Frankfurt on April 16 is verdi’s response to the protracted talks, it said.
The announcement a day and a half before the strikes was intended to ensure that customers could prepare in good time. There could be temporary disruptions, said Duscheck.
Verdi wants to win a 15.5% increase in pay for around 12,000 employees in the Deutsche Bank Group with a Postbank collective agreement, but at least a €600 ($651) increase in monthly salaries. The union is also calling for the protection against dismissal to be extended until the end of 2028.
Deutsche Bank plans to close up to 250 of the 550 Postbank branches by mid-2026, which includes staff cuts.
Verdi and the Deutsche Bank Employees’ Association (DBV) increased the pressure in the wage dispute on Monday and called on employees in the back office and call centres across Germany to strike from Tuesday to Wednesday.
“Despite weeks of negotiations, the employer is still not prepared to make any substantial concessions to Postbank employees,” Duscheck criticized.