GERMAN workers at Deutsche Post will expand strike action to a nationwide walkout today against company plans to attack pay in its booming parcels business.

Trade union Verdi said more than 1,000 parcel centre workers in the North Rhine Westphalia region had taken part in yesterday’s strike and it expected several thousand more today.

Deutsche Post’s letter business is shrinking while parcel deliveries are rising.

It announced plans in January to create 10,000 new jobs at its parcel business by 2020, but said new workers must accept lower wages.

Verdi said such a move would breach an agreement limiting how much business Deutsche Post can outsource and said it would only accept if the company shortened about 140,000 workers’ hours from 38.5 to 36 per week.

Deutsche Post and Verdi will meet again on April 27-28.