Döner kebab meat workers in Germany celebrated Friday after securing the industry’s first union-backed wage agreement, ending a lengthy dispute with a major supplier of the popular street food.
Workers at the factory run by the Birtat company, one of Germany's biggest in the sector, supplying some 13 million businesses a month, had been pushing for improved salaries and had staged several walkouts.
They complained that they were not paid enough for the hard work, which involves marinating veal, chicken and turkey and putting it on skewers in cold temperatures, according to a report in the financial weekly WirftschaftsWoche.
The long-running dispute at the plant in Murr, southwest Germany, was finally settled Friday when a deal was agreed with management, according to the NGG food, beverages and catering union.
The union hailed the pay deal as the "first collective bargaining agreement in the kebab meat industry," adding that it "marks the beginning of an important chapter in labour relations."
"We are convinced that this collective agreement sends an important signal to our employees, expressing our appreciation for their hard work and dedication," added Cihan Karaman, a spokesman for Meat World SE, the parent company of Birtat.
The agreement sets the starting monthly salary at 2,600 euros ($3,300), with increases to be implemented by the end of 2026, the NGG said. It covers about 120 workers, according to news outlet Der Spiegel.
