Union Brings IKEA to a Standstill: Over 8,000 Workers Walk Out at 31 German Stores in Pay Dispute
19.06.2026 - 17:09:15 | boerse-global.de
More than half of IKEA’s German locations ground to a halt on Friday as the Verdi union escalated its retail sector wage dispute with a nationwide wave of walkouts. The Swedish furniture giant saw 31 of its 54 stores hit by strikes, with over 8,000 employees across the industry taking part.
In Berlin, Verdi called out workers at all three branches — Spandau, Tempelhof and Lichtenberg — and held a central rally at Wittenbergplatz. The only IKEA sites unaffected were in Brandenburg, where a peace obligation still applies and no strike call has been issued.
The company said it respected the right to strike but tried to limit disruption through organisational measures. All stores remained open, IKEA confirmed, though customers faced delays, especially at checkout counters and during appointments such as kitchen studio consultations.
The strike action comes with the two sides far apart at the negotiating table. Verdi is demanding a 7 percent wage increase, with a minimum of €225 more per month, for a contract lasting twelve months.
Employers have countered with a two-stage offer: a 2 percent rise from November 2026, followed by an additional 1.5 percent in August 2027 — but they want a two-year term. Verdi dismissed the proposal as insufficient. Steven Haarke, chief negotiator for the German Retail Federation (HDE), sharply criticised the strikes, arguing they do not bring a solution at the bargaining table.
Verdi board member Silke Zimmer justified the escalation by pointing to IKEA’s own business strategy. The company posted sales of €6.1 billion in the 2024 financial year — its second-best result ever. Yet, she said, IKEA is pursuing a cost-cutting course at the expense of its workforce. The union highlighted that the retailer has announced it will consider operational redundancies for the first time in 2026. As a concrete example, Verdi cited the customer service centre in Rostock, where 280 employees lost their jobs, and the planned closure of the IT department at the Dortmund site.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Monday. Talks are set to resume for the retail sector in Rhineland-Palatinate and for the wholesale and foreign trade sector in Hamburg. IKEA holds a powerful position in these negotiations — in Saarland, for instance, the company leads the bargaining on the employer side.
