BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The services trade union Verdi once again lost members last year. As Germany's second-largest union after IG Metall, Verdi reported around 1.87 million members at the end of 2025, according to a statement released in Berlin. This represents a decrease of 1.84 percent. Verdi chairman Frank Werneke stated that his organization is "right in the middle of the baby boomer wave." Large cohorts are currently transitioning from working life to retirement.
Last year, there were 131,621 new members, compared to 166,400 departures, deaths, and other exits. According to Werneke, nationwide collective bargaining rounds in the public sector at the federal and municipal levels, as well as at Deutsche Post, brought additional members to Verdi last year—especially younger ones. In the public sector, Verdi campaigned for higher wages, including through warning strikes in local public transport, waste management, and daycare centers. Around 39,000 young people under the age of 28 joined Verdi in 2025.
Verdi had already lost members in 2024 compared to the previous year. In 2023, the union had recorded an increase, counting almost 1.9 million members. Verdi is one of eight unions affiliated with the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), which together have a total of around 5.6 million members./bw/DP/stw
