Dusseldorf High inflation is driving unions and employees to demand high wages. The Verdi union alone wants to negotiate an increase of 10.5 percent for its members – and is threatening to strike public facilities such as local transport, daycare centers and swimming pools.
Handelsblatt editor Frank Specht warns that the collective bargaining disputes will affect the everyday lives of many citizens in the coming months: “The trade unions are determined to enforce their collective bargaining demands.”
However, he does not see the danger of a situation in which wages and prices mutually inflate. “Most economists don’t expect such a wage-price spiral to occur.”
In addition, the wage demands are only partly justified by inflation. For example, the strikes by postal workers, where a large part of the workforce receives rather low wages, are about better working conditions, for example.
Also: The German solar industry wants to become more independent of China – and has worked out a plan with the federal government on how the industry can diversify its suppliers.
The topic is of great importance for Germany, says Handelsblatt editor Kathrin Witsch. “If we look to the future, this is one of the most dangerous dependencies that can exist – because the share of solar energy in our energy supply will increase significantly as a result of the energy transition.”
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