Tourism industry negotiation: ver.di advocates for walkout
The United Services Trade Union (ver.di) has announced a warning strike on July 30, 2025, from 10:00 to 12:00, in response to ongoing wage negotiations with the German Travel Association - Tariff Community (DRV-T) in the tourism industry. The strike, which is intended to send a clear signal to employers, will involve approximately 3,000 employees in over 300 DERTOUR travel agencies and tour operator locations across Frankfurt, Cologne, and Bremen.
The strike comes after a six-year break in negotiations, with the last round of talks in 2018 and 2019 ending without a wage agreement. The impasse was due to the inability to reach a mutually acceptable solution, and the subsequent pandemic only exacerbated the issue.
ver.di is demanding a catch-up increase of all wages by 19.5 percent, with the minimum wage increase set at least 550 euros gross, based on the 2018 wage table. Sonja Austermühle, a ver.di negotiator, stated that employers have not yet understood the seriousness of the employees' demands. Trainee remuneration should also increase by 19.5 percent, according to ver.di.
As of July 2025, there are no specific publicly available details about the current status or proposed demands by ver.di for a catch-up wage increase in the tourism industry for 2025. The search results include wage negotiations in other sectors, such as daily newspaper journalists securing a 10.5% pay rise by ver.di affiliates, content moderators striking over AI risk, but not targeted information on ver.di’s tourism industry wage talks.
However, it is worth noting that ver.di has been active in strikes and demands in other sectors, such as TikTok content moderators facing layoffs, calling for severance packages reflecting job difficulties and AI replacement risks. Some other sectors in Germany have also seen wage increases announced around mid-2025, e.g., Amazon logistics staff.
Given the ongoing negotiations and the lack of detailed information in the public domain, it would be advisable to check ver.di’s official announcements or press releases directly or specialized industry news focusing on tourism labor relations in Germany for up-to-date and precise details. ver.di expects an offer that takes significant steps towards compensating for the loss of real wages, but as of now, the specifics remain to be seen.
- The ongoing wage negotiations between ver.di and the German Travel Association - Tariff Community (DRV-T) in the tourism industry are a significant matter in the broader context of the business and finance sectors, as a potential agreement could influence wages and working conditions in various related businesses.
- Amidst the industrial action by ver.di in the tourism sector, it's essential for employers in the Finance industry, particularly those in travel, to closely monitor the negotiations' progress, as any changes in wage structures and remuneration could impact their financial planning and operations.
