Coca-Cola Strike Begins in the North - Dispute Over Wages - NGG Launches Nationwide Strike at Coca-Cola in Germany Over Wage Demands
The union NGG has launched a nationwide warning strike at Coca-Cola sites in Germany, demanding a 5 percent wage increase retroactive to September 1, plus a base amount of 150 euros. The strike began at 6 am and is expected to last 16 hours at four sites in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, affecting around 1,200 employees. A central strike rally is planned in Bremen with around 500 expected participants.
The union's demands follow a previous wage increase by Coca-Cola of around 3.5 percent or 170 euros per month since March. However, NGG described the company's latest offer of a 1.5 percent wage increase only in 2026 as a 'provocation'. The strike is the start of a nationwide warning strike wave, with roughly half of the affected employees at the Hildesheim site. If the employers do not meet the union's demands, further strikes are threatened. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for November 10-12 in Hamburg.
The ongoing strike at Coca-Cola sites in Germany highlights the ongoing difficulties in minimum wage negotiations between the union NGG and the company. With around 1,200 employees affected and a central strike rally planned in Bremen, the situation is expected to remain tense until the next round of negotiations in Hamburg.
