Dataport employees in Kiel strike for higher wages

Employees at the IT service provider Dataport in Kiel participated in a full-day warning strike on Thursday. The Ver.di union has urged employees to join the strike, demanding higher wages.

According to Ver.di negotiator Sabine Kaiser, Dataport's current salary offer is comparable to the public sector collective agreement, which she deems insufficient for the company's specialized employees. Kaiser emphasized that these are many highly qualified specialists who are actively courted by software companies. Losing such expertise would jeopardize the state's IT infrastructure in the long term.

The union is demanding a 7.5 percent pay increase, or a minimum of 400 euros per month, for Dataport employees, along with two additional vacation days. Ver.di states that the employers' offer significantly falls short of the union's demands.

Striking employees gathered at the union's headquarters in Kiel on Thursday morning for a demonstration march to the state parliament. Police reported approximately 700 participants were registered. Dataport employs around 2,000 people across its Altenholz, Kiel, and Flintbek locations.