Tariff conflict in Nehlsen: HR reduction threatens after wage dispute!

Tarifstreit bei Karl Nehlsen GmbH eskaliert: Gewerkschaft ver.di fordert bessere Löhne. Personalabbau ab Juli angekündigt.
Tariff dispute at Karl Nehlsen GmbH escalated: Union ver.di demands better wages. Reduction of personnel announced from July. (Symbolbild/MB)

Tariff conflict in Nehlsen: HR reduction threatens after wage dispute!

Bremen, Deutschland - The situation at Karl Nehlsen GmbH has lifted tremendously in the past few weeks. The collective bargaining dispute over fair wages seems to escalate. On June 19, 2025, the corporate management announced that he would start personnel reduction from July 1. The reason for this step is the "significantly higher wage shares" that make it difficult for the company to acquire new orders. Managing Director Frank Kuhna justifies the measures by declaring that the steps are "inevitable" in order to stabilize the economic situation. Union ver.di, of course, sees it very differently and demands that wages to be lifted to a level that is customary in the industry, for example according to the guidelines of the TVöD disposal tariff. bremen.verdi.de reports on concerns from the ranks of the union: Markus Westermann, the managing director of ver.di-bremen-north-saxony, warns of a possible measure organized employee.

A look back shows that the dispute over wages at Nehlsen GmbH does not come out of nowhere. Not too long ago, the union and the company agreed on a strike -free time until April 6, 2025 to work on a solution. Oliver Groß, CEO of Nehlsen AG, described this agreement as important. Nevertheless, the demands for serious collective bargaining have so far remained unfulfilled. Nehlsen.com reported that the talks should be continued during this time in order to come to a long-term solution.

episodes for the municipalities

But these developments not only have an impact on Nehlsen's employees. The municipalities that work with the company must also fear the consequences from the tense situation. The social partnership in question could have a negative impact on cooperation. The possibility of exit or further emigration from employees cannot be ignored.

In view of the falling collective bargaining in Germany, the current events make a light on the general importance of collective bargaining. According to bpb.de, the proportion of tariff-bound companies in Germany has dropped from 48 % in 2000 to only 29 % in 2018. Of course we observe that in the public sector, where there are often high levels of tariff binding, such arguments still occur.

The position of employees is crucial, not only for their immediate remuneration, but also for stability in the industry. The union faces the challenge of motivating its members despite the tense negotiations and impending personnel loss and promoting the discussion about fair wages. "It remains to be seen how the negotiations will develop," says Westermann, and a positive result appears essential for many in the region.

Details
OrtBremen, Deutschland
Quellen