Suche
Mein Konto
Warning strikes in North Rhine-Westphalia: Breweries threaten to collapse through collective bargaining!
Hundreds of brewery employees in North Rhine-Westphalia are on strike in Korschenbroich on June 26, 2025 because of stalled collective bargaining.
Warning strikes in North Rhine-Westphalia: Breweries threaten to collapse through collective bargaining!
A huge wave of protests is currently brewing in North Rhine-Westphalia's brewing industry. On Thursday, June 26, 2025, hundreds of brewery employees are calling for a warning strike to draw attention to the stalled collective bargaining. According to the Food, Pleasure and Restaurants union (NGG), it is about the desired wage negotiations, which are turning out to be tough. In particular in Korschenbroich, the headquarters of the employer's negotiator, numerous employees are expected to take part in a protest rally in order to take a striking step together, reports WDR.
The NGG has already reduced the soft demands for this year's wage increase, originally 6.6 percent, to 3.4 percent for this year and 3.2 percent for next year. Employers, on the other hand, have recently offered a wage increase of 1 percent less per year. NGG country manager Mohamed Boudih warns of significant failures in beer production, while his deputy Isabell Mura assures that acute bottlenecks in the beverage markets are not yet to be expected. The affected hotspots in the region include the Diebels brewery in Issum, Dortmund's DAB, the Stauder private brewery in Essen, and Gaffel and Reissdorf from Cologne.
Collective bargaining in view
The most recent collective negotiations have already resulted in a partial agreement that provides for a wage increase of 430 euros per month and an inflation compensation bonus of up to 3,000 euros. This agreement applies to over a dozen breweries with around 2,000 employees. The increase will be paid out in three stages: From April 2023 there will be 180 euros more per month, followed by 150 euros in January 2024 and 100 euros in December 2024. Trainees also benefit from this regulation.
The current average gross monthly wage is 3,795.50 euros, which means that employees in the lower wage group can benefit from a decent plus of up to 14 percent. What is particularly pleasing is that the NGG collective bargaining commission did good business with an actual table increase of 330 euros in the first 12 months, despite the employers' initial tough negotiating positions.
Strikes and their effects
Overall, there have already been nationwide strikes that have had a significant impact on production. Over 100 hours of standstill in the brewing industry show that employees are ready to fight for their rights and demands. The NGG hopes that the current warning strikes will increase the necessary pressure on employers to reach an agreement in the fourth round of negotiations, which is due next week.
The discussions seem to be taking place in an area of tension between rising living costs and the uncertainties of the energy industry. German brewers warn of existential fears in their industry. It remains to be seen whether the employers will show movement in the next negotiations and give in to the employees' demands. Otherwise, NGG will announce further strike action.
For further insights into collective bargaining and current events in the brewing industry, you can follow the relevant reports from WDR, NGG and ND Aktuell.