IUF affiliate NGG is locked in a significant fight with the German Food Service Employers Association over the renegotiation of the sectoral collective agreement. As a result, fast food workers at McDonald’s locations in Hamburg, Germany as well as Burger King workers in Brandenburg and catering workers at Center Parcs Bispinger Heide have been striking for higher pay. NGG’s core demand is a pay raise for the roughly 120,000 fast food, catering and other food service workers across the country from 12.61 EUR to 15 EUR per hour.
- NGG’s demands for the new collective agreement also include a monthly 500 EUR wage increase for all workers, a one-time payment of 500 EUR for all NGG members, increased compensation for apprentices, and a guarantee that the minimum wage in the collective agreement will be higher than the federal minimum wage
- The Employers Association, which represents employers such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King and others, has offered NGG a wage increase of just 1.26 EUR per hour over the next four years
- NGG is planning further strike actions at more fast food restaurants around Germany; on November 4, the third round of negotiations will take place, and if the Employers Association does not present a new offer, strike actions will expand
Mark Baumeister, NGG chief negotiator for the fast food sector, stated: “It is surprising that the employers did not move an inch towards the workers’ demands in the second round of negotiations, despite continuous growth in sales in the industry. With further strikes on the horizon, they will pay a heavy price for their unwillingness to negotiate in good faith.”
