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Strike at DHL: Parcels are left behind – employees demand 12% more!
A multi-day strike at DHL in Leipzig begins on June 4, 2025. Ver.di demands 12% more wages after failed negotiations.
Strike at DHL: Parcels are left behind – employees demand 12% more!
A wave of strikes lasting several days will begin at DHL Hub Leipzig GmbH on June 4, 2025, starting at 6:00 p.m. and lasting until Friday night. The United Services Union (ver.di) announced this step after a previous warning strike on May 23, 2025 and an inconclusive round of negotiations. Norm Schulze, regional department manager at ver.di, emphasizes that the employees' patience has been exhausted. In the second round of negotiations, the negotiating parties were unable to make an offer from management, which significantly increased the employees' willingness to strike. Ver.di calls on all employees to strike and announces that it will create visibility at the rally site. Media representatives are invited to attend the rally.
The DHL hub at Leipzig/Halle Airport is the largest parcel handling point in Europe and, according to ver.di, is severely affected by the current working conditions. Before the strike, emergency services were arranged to ensure the supply of blood and medication and also to ensure the safe landing of pilots. At the Schkeuditz location, where around 6,000 people are employed, around 70% work night shifts, which further puts strain on working conditions. Employees report frequent back pain and other health problems.
demands and frustrations
Ver.di is demanding a wage increase of 12% and appropriate training remuneration, with the term of the demands set at 12 months. DHL, on the other hand, describes these demands as “not realistic”. This difference is also reflected in the salaries: employees in Leipzig sometimes earn up to 700 euros less than their colleagues in West Germany for the same work. This injustice contributes to the frustration of the employees who stood up for their concerns during the warning strike on May 23rd with over 1,285 participants.
The DHL hub brought in around 5.9 billion euros for Deutsche Post AG last year. Despite these high sales, many employees feel disadvantaged and talk about discrimination and difficulties in the working atmosphere. Four years ago, DHL hired 500 Spanish employees to address staffing shortages, but this does not appear to have solved the problems in the long term. The next round of negotiations is for the 11th/12th. June 2025 is planned, with ver.di hoping for a negotiable offer. Otherwise, further measures will be considered to address employees' concerns.
The current strike at the DHL Leipzig hub highlights the deep tensions between employees and management. Demands for fairer working conditions and wages are more urgent than ever as frustration among the workforce continues to grow. DUBIST HALL and taz report comprehensively on the developments and the background to the strike.