(Bloomberg) -- A German labor union called on Deutsche Post AG employees to strike on Monday and Tuesday ahead of wage talks in which the workers are seeking a 15% pay rise.

Labor union Verdi called on Deutsche Post employees of selected operations nationwide to go on strike for two days ahead of talks scheduled to continue on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The strikes will affect letter and parcel centers as well as delivery, and will send a “clear signal” to the Bonn-based company, Verdi said.

About 42,000 workers joined strikes at the end of the previous week, according to the union which represents 160,000 Deutsche Post employees.

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Verdi is demanding pay rises of 15% for postal workers and €200 more per month for apprentices and dual students, to compensate for the impact of rocketing inflation and the cost of living. “Employees are particularly affected by high inflation because they have to spend a large part of their net income on food and energy,” the union said in a statement posted on its website.

“We have already said that we will present an offer in the third round of negotiations starting Feb. 8. The announced warning strikes are therefore excessive in our view,” Sonja Radojicic, a spokeswoman for Deutsche Post, said in an emailed statement.

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