Thousands of retail workers across Germany have once again walked out in the current round of collective bargaining.
The focus of Friday's action, called by the Verdi trade union, was the furniture retailer IKEA. Verdi stated that 31 furniture stores were "involved in industrial action to varying degrees".
The union said more than 8,000 retail workers took part in the strikes. A spokeswoman said there had been noticeable disruptions to operations, including impacts at the checkouts. In some branches, Kitchen design appointments also had to be cancelled.
IKEA told dpa that "We are currently seeing only a minor impact from the strikes in our furniture stores. All 54 branches are open".
Steven Haarke, the collective bargaining director for the German Retail Association, said: "Business is continuing as usual. Verdi must understand that the strikes will not achieve their aim." Confrontation, he said, is the wrong tactic.
Verdi is demanding a 7% pay rise, amounting to at least €225 over a twelve-month period. Employers have most recently offered a 2% increase in the retail sector from November onwards in several federal states and a further 1.5% increase from August 2027 over a two-year period. Verdi rejected this.
The union says around 5.2 million people work in the retail sector in Germany.
The previous collective bargaining negotiations dragged on for more than a year. In the end, retail workers secured a total pay rise of around 14% for the years 2023 to 2025.
