Management and workers' representatives at Birtat, one of Germany’s largest kebab producers, have reached an agreement for a wage increase after a prolonged labour dispute, averting a potential kebab crisis.
In recent weeks, Birtat workers staged several strikes demanding better working conditions and higher pay.
Most of the company's employees are from Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria. At the factory in Murr, southwestern Germany, they process, marinate, and skewer the meat, which is then frozen and shipped to snack bars locally and internationally. The company claims to serve 13 million customers monthly.
Fears of shortages in the sector arose due to the strikes, but these have been now alleviated by a collective bargaining agreement reached with the NGG union on Friday, marking a first for the industry.
The agreement includes a starting salary of €2,600 gross and a potential wage increase of up to 17% by 2027. About 90% of union members approved the deal.
The union hopes to extend the agreement to other meat companies. However, there are concerns that it might lead to higher prices for the popular döner kebab.
The newspaper Wirtschaftswoche dedicated an entire article to this issue, warning that should other producers adopt the agreement, prices could rise to an average of €10. Following the inflation crisis, the leftist party Die Linke had even proposed capping prices.
