German union calls Amazon workers in Leipzig to strike for 48 hours

German public sector union ver.di on Monday called for a 48-hour strike starting immediately at Amazon's warehouses in the country's eastern city of Leipzig. The workers want a collective labour agreement that includes a 2.5 euro ($2.73) per hour wage increase for a 12-month period.

German public sector union ver.di on Monday called for a 48-hour strike starting immediately at Amazon's warehouses in the country's eastern city of Leipzig.

The workers want a collective labour agreement that includes a 2.5 euro ($2.73) per hour wage increase for a 12-month period. They also want a 250 euro wage increase for apprentices and that the labour agreement must become binding for the company.

Ronny Streich, a representative of the ver.di union which called the strike, said some employers in the retail and delivery industry offered a 3% wage increase for the first year of the agreement and described it as "a slap in the face". Amazon is not bound by collective agreements and does not take part in these negotiations.

($1 = 0.9173 euros)