Riesa/Berlin (dpa/sn) – In the collective bargaining dispute at Pasta Riesa, which has been deadlocked for weeks, moderation in Berlin began on Tuesday. The company had suggested this step in order to get the negotiations going again, as a spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The two moderators, the former Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck, and Gerhard Binkert, former President of the Berlin-Brandenburg State Labor Court, first got an overview of the positions of both sides.
The pasta manufacturer, which is well-known and popular in East Germany in particular, has been on strike for almost seven weeks. Pasta Riesa is a subsidiary of the Swabian company Alb-Gold Pasta from Trochtelfingen. The NGG had demanded a wage increase of two euros per hour for all employees. The management had rejected this as unrealistic and offered an increase in two steps totaling 1.20 euros per hour. There would also be a one-off payment of 400 euros. Around 150 people work in Riesa.