Wave of warning strikes at breweries in Saxony

Employees at several breweries in Saxony are taking industrial action. The background to this is the so far unsuccessful wage negotiations for the brewing industry in Saxony and Thuringia. According to the Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG), the strike wave has met with great participation. Beer production at four Radeberger Group plants has largely come to a standstill, and deliveries have also been affected. The warning strikes are expected to last until the weekend.

Union wants to put pressure on the kettle

"The East does not want to be treated inferior. We want our own agreement that suits the employees. The workforce normally produces beer around the clock. Now they are putting pressure on the kettle with the strike in the collective bargaining round. The Radeberger Gruppe should not underestimate the willingness of the workforce to fight and, as the key negotiator in the collective bargaining area, should give up its blockade," explained Uwe Ledwig, chief negotiator for NGG Ost.

Many employees in Saxony and Thuringia are concerned that they are still working longer hours for less money more than 30 years after German reunification, emphasized Ledwig. The difference amounts to more than 4,000 euros a year - without bonuses.

Union wants seven percent higher wages

In addition to the employees of Freiberger Brauhaus and Radeberger Brauerei, the employees of Sternburg Brauerei in Leipzig and Krostitzer Brauerei were also called to take industrial action. According to the union, the employers have so far refused to make an offer. The union is demanding a wage increase of seven percent and 100 euros more for trainees.

Employers have not yet presented an offer

The Saxon Employers' Association for Food and Drink did not comment on the further course of action on Thursday. However, individual breweries have spoken out. Radeberger Brauerei regretted that it had not yet been possible to reach an offer from the employers after the first round of negotiations. The collective bargaining community will be able to make up for this if the employee representatives signal a "genuine willingness to negotiate", said company spokesman Hendrik Wagner on request.

Breweries expect economic damage

Unfortunately, economically unsustainable maximum demands would not make a collective bargaining agreement possible at present, emphasized Wagner. They had been prepared for a strike. "However, this does not change the fact that industrial action deliberately arranged at such short notice and extending over several brewing and bottling days, especially now in the current peak season for our products, will bring natural processes to a standstill and thus potentially also cause economic damage."

Employers want a negotiated result with a sense of proportion

According to Radeberger Brauerei, beer sales in Germany are currently down by around 7 percent. "A demanded wage increase of around 7 percent is not only beyond what the market allows - it also ultimately jeopardizes jobs instead of securing them." If sales in the industry are developing so slowly for a variety of reasons, then a sense of proportion must also apply to wages. A negotiation result is needed that is fair to both sides without jeopardizing economic foundations.

According to the Freiberg brewery, the announcement of the industrial action came at very short notice. Marketing Manager Frank Rehagel explained that the announced length of the measures would not only disrupt the complex processes at the brewery, but would also bring them to a standstill at certain points. This would be particularly painful in the weeks of the peak season. "When brewers' sales are under pressure, wages can't grow into the sky either."

Breweries express incomprehension at union demands

The Krostitzer brewery admitted that a production and bottling stoppage of two full working days would affect the company during the peak season and cause economic damage. "In the market situation in which our industry currently finds itself, we therefore view the high demands put forward by the union with incomprehension - because they lack any reference to the market," said company spokeswoman Ines Zekert. The bargaining parties should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible in order to "negotiate market-oriented wage adjustments with a sense of proportion".

The next negotiation date is August 14. "The employer side can also present an offer before then. Further work stoppages cannot be ruled out and could severely disrupt the production and delivery capacity of breweries to restaurants and retailers in the coming summer weeks," concluded the union.