FRANKFURT – Workers at 40 branches Deutsche Bank (DE) Postbank employees are on strike for a raise in wages. Officials from the union said that they will be striking short strikes Friday and Saturday.

These so-called warning strikes are coming before a critical week of wage negotiations in Germany for the wider banking sector. Inflation fears continue to grow.

Roman Eberle of Verdi, a union representing workers, stated that this week’s strike involves around 300 Postbank employees and that inflation was a concern for 15,000 of those affected by the result of negotiations that started earlier in the week.

Labour entered those talks in search of a 6% increase in wages. In February, they resume.

The bank released a statement saying that Deutsche Bank regretted the Union’s call for early warning strikes following the first round negotiations. It will take all measures to minimise the effect of warning strikes on Postbank customers.”

Christian Sewing, chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank, has warned against inflation. He stated that the phenomenon would persist for longer and suggested that central banks should act quickly to combat it.