German trade union Verdi has called on employees at telecommunications firm Deutsche Telekom to hold strikes and protests in front of the stadiums of the 10 cities hosting the European Championships this summer as part of ongoing wage negotiations.
Verdi said on Thursday that the fourth round of negotiations in its wage dispute with Deutsche Telekom in the city of Potsdam, which was originally scheduled to run until Tuesday, had been extended until Friday.
Deutsche Telekom announced on Tuesday that it had improved its offer to employees. Verdi rejected the offer as insufficient, but called it "a step in the right direction." Industrial action has now been called to back up the union's demands.
Verdi representative Pascal Röckert said before the European Championships begin on June 14, employees "have a legitimate concern that their demands for a substantial pay rise are met".