POTSDAM (dpa-AFX) - There has been some movement in the wage dispute at Deutsche Telekom. As the company announced in Potsdam on Tuesday, it has improved its offer to the employee side: employees are to receive a salary increase of 5.2 percent in December, compared to only 4.2 percent in January 2025 in the previous offer. According to the new proposal, employees are to receive an additional 160 euros per month in October 2025, whereas the management had previously only offered 150 euros for the same date. In addition, employees are to gradually receive a tax-free inflation compensation bonus totaling 2,000 euros this year.

Although Verdi rejected the new offer as insufficient, it called it a "step in the right direction" that was appreciated. The fourth round of negotiations in Potsdam, which was originally only planned until Tuesday, was extended until Friday. The union continues to insist on an increase of 12 percent for a contract term of 12 months, while Telekom wanted an agreement valid for 26 months. In recent weeks, the union has repeatedly tried to increase the pressure on the company with warning strikes. Due to the work stoppages, the waiting time on the service hotline sometimes increased and technician appointments were postponed by a few days.

The question of how many employees the agreement should apply to is also still open. While Telekom is aiming for around 58,000 employees including junior staff, Verdi wants to include other areas of the Group. This would mean around 70,000 tariff employees./wdw/DP/he