Germany's postal service reached a wage deal June 11 with unions representing 160,000 workers, ending a series of brief strikes that slowed mail service.
The new contract runs through April 2004. Under the deal, workers at Deutsche Post will get a 3.5 percent increase for the year beginning June 1, and a one-time payment of 43 euros ($41). Starting June 1, 2003, salaries will rise another 3.2 percent for 11 months.
The 80,000 Deutsche Post employees who have status as civil servants are unaffected by the agreement. German law governs their salaries, and they received a 2.4 percent pay increase in January.
