Wage deal reached for wholesale workers in Berlin and Brandenburg

After months of negotiations and several warning strikes, employers and the Verdi union have reached a wage agreement for wholesale workers in Berlin and Brandenburg.

The deal includes a 2.9% pay increase retroactive to Aug. 1, 2026, followed by another 2.1% increase from May 1, 2027. From next year, all employees will receive at least €14.90 an hour. The collective agreement will run for 24 months.

Verdi negotiator Franziska Foullong described the settlement as a direct result of the walkouts. "This is a success that was only possible because of the pressure created by the strikes," she said, according to the union.

The agreement was reached on Monday. Wholesale workers now have a settlement, but employees in the retail sector in Berlin and Brandenburg are still waiting for one. Retail workers have also staged repeated warning strikes in recent months.

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This is a success that was only possible because of the pressure created by the strikes.