More than 350 brewery employees on warning strike

Accompanied by a warning strike, wage negotiations for employees at breweries in Saxony have entered a new round. According to the Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG), the employers presented an offer for the first time this morning. However, it was far removed from their own ideas, said union secretary Jens Löbel on request. Details were not initially disclosed.

In the run-up to the negotiations, employees at five breweries had been called to strike. According to Löbel, more than 350 employees took part in a rally at the negotiating venue - colleagues from Sternburg Brauerei Leipzig, Krostitzer Brauerei, Freiberger Brauhaus, Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei and Wernesgrüner Brauerei.

Union demands seven percent wage increase

The union is demanding a seven percent wage increase and 100 euros more for trainees. According to the NGG, there is still a wage gap between East and West in the industry. There is talk of employees in Saxony receiving more than 4,000 euros less per year than their colleagues in the West.

"It's fermenting, but not in the tank," said Uwe Ledwig, regional chairman for the east and chief negotiator for the NGG, in advance. So far, around 250,000 hectolitres or almost 50 million bottles of beer could not be produced or bottled as a result of the wage dispute.

SPD leader considers wage gap East-West no longer acceptable

Saxon SPD leader Henning Homann expressed his solidarity with the brewery employees: "The brewers in Saxony work hard every day. Fair pay and fair working conditions are a must." The strike is an expression of "deeply felt injustice": "A wage gap of several thousand euros a year between East and West is no longer acceptable."

It remains to be seen whether the negotiations on Thursday will lead to a result. Neither the employers nor the union wanted to commit to a time period. Recently, the employer side had taken a long time "to propose nothing", according to union circles. The Saxon Employers' Association for Food and Drink is negotiating on behalf of the breweries.

Breweries consider demands to be completely excessive

The breweries had already taken a stand in the run-up to the current round of negotiations. According to Radeberger Brauerei, beer sales in Germany are currently down by around seven percent. "A demanded wage increase of around seven percent is not only beyond what the market allows - it also ultimately jeopardizes jobs instead of securing them," said company spokesman Hendrik Wagner. We need a negotiation result that is fair to both sides without jeopardizing economic foundations.