Supermarkets, restaurants, banks and hairdressers are running out of money. The security and money transport companies called for a warning strike lasting several days last Friday. Since then, branches and companies have not been served with change. FOCUS Online says how to proceed.
The first warning strike by money and value suppliers, which the Verdi union had determined for the industry, ended on Tuesday. Employers’ associations and unions have been sitting at the negotiating table ever since.
According to the first reports, the talks between the employers’ associations and the Verdi union ended around 2 a.m. on Thursday night. In the meantime there has been speculation about a possible termination of the fourth round of negotiations.
According to information from FOCUS Online, this is denied by both sides. An insider said they got closer that night.
In the meantime, the Federal Association of German money and value services (BDGW) confirms the FOCUS online information.
A press release states: “The negotiating parties were able to agree on a new collective agreement during the night. The agreement includes a collective agreement with a term of 26 months and an increase of up to 18.29 percent.”
Employees at cash and valuables transport companies wanted more money. The Verdi union had been negotiating a federal wage agreement with the Federal Association of German Monetary and Valuable Services (BDGW) since June. He should bring the 11,000 employees a salary increase of almost 11 percent.
After the third round of negotiations collapsed last week, the Verdi union called a warning strike last Friday. This lasted until Tuesday.
As a result, retailers, banks and service providers have not received cash delivery.
“Dear customers, if possible, please only pay by card,” said a Rewe branch in Munich on Tuesday morning. Employees of Edeka, dm and Rossmann confirmed in an interview with FOCUS Online that no change had arrived in the branches between Friday and Tuesday. The delivery of cash was also delayed on Wednesday, since banks had not received any cash in the previous days either.
Even ATMs could not be filled with cash. In some cases, the bank branches have even been closed altogether.
The situation should have normalized by Friday at the latest.
In rural regions it could take a little longer before the situation normalizes, according to a Sparkasse branch in Munich. Bank branches that are more affected by the warning strike due to their high customer volume would receive money first.
The shortage of cash was particularly bitter for companies that do not accept card payments and rely on cash. In some cases they had to close. “I work for a hairdressing company in Darmstadt. We had to close on Tuesday because we had no money in the till and my boss couldn’t get any cash from the bank,” said FOCUS Online reader Emma Marion.
Pharmacies, libraries, butchers and bakeries are also currently affected by cash shortages because change has not been delivered for days. As FOCUS Online learned, small businesses in particular were surprised by the warning strike.
Supermarkets and discounters – including Netto Marken-Discount, Lidl, Rewe, Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord – had been stocking up on cash since last week. Corresponding measures were defined in the so-called daily e-mails by the responsible central offices. Excerpts are available to the editors.
According to this, cashiers should actively ask for coins in cents and euros in order to put “sufficient change” in the till boxes. If employees have to give more than five coins as change, you should actively ask for card payment.
“Be careful with 1 euro, 10 cent and 1 cent coins,” wrote a Rewe branch manager to his employees.
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