DUSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) - Workers at German telecommunications firm Deutsche
Telekom are planning a one-day strike at the company as part of wage
negotiations, the verdi trade union announced on Friday.

The nationwide strike is called for Monday against Telekom, a major
provider of phone, internet and mobile service in the country.

The strike is intended to put pressure on Telekom to improve its wage
offer to workers during ongoing collective bargaining talks.

'The employers' offer so far is far from sufficient to meet the
employees' expectations. There must be significant movement in the
decisive round of negotiations if a longer conflict is to be
averted,' strike leader Pascal Röckert said on Friday.

Telekom and verdi are scheduled to meet in Potsdam just outside
Berlin on Monday and Tuesday for the fourth round of negotiations.

The union is demanding a pay rise of at least 12%, or a minimum of
?400 ($430) per month for those at the bottom of the wage scale, for
around 70,000 Telekom employees across Germany.

Telekom had recently offered to increase salaries by 4.2% beginning
in 2025 and a more immediate tax-free inflation compensation bonus of
?2,000.

Verdi rejected the offer as insufficient.

The union had organized a nationwide strike this week in which 13,000
Telekom workers took part.

The strike created enormous waiting times for customer service,
forced the cancellation of technician appointments and the closure of
some Telekom retail shops.


Copyright dpa