German letter carriers and parcel service workers at mail service Deutsche Post went out on strike on Thursday amid a wage dispute.
The limited strikes are the latest in a series of labour actions staged by the verdi trade union to drive home demands for pay increases and extra paid holidays for postal workers.
None of the strikes have shut down mail service in Germany, but delivery of some parcels and letters has been delayed as a result of the strikes.
Verdi is demanding a pay rise of 7% as well as three extra holidays for all postal employees, citing the rising cost of living and the need to recover from an increased workload. The trade union has also demanded that verdi members also be granted a fourth extra holiday.
Deutsche Post considers the demands to be economically unfeasible, given tough economic conditions, the long-term decline in letter volumes and the need to make major investments in new systems.
According to the Bonn-based logistics company DHL, the parent company of Deutsche Post, there is very little scope for wage increases.
Collective bargaining talks are set to continue on Wednesday.
A member of the Verdi union wave a Verdi flag during a strike in front of the DHL parcel distribution center in Cologne Gremberg. After the letter delivery on Tuesday, Verdi is now striking at Deutsche Post for parcel delivery. Oliver Berg/dpa
