If there are cash shortages?
Strike by cash couriers causes problems with cash supply.
Germany is the land of cash. Whereas in other countries it has been perfectly normal for some time now for even the smallest amounts of money, such as cash, to be withdrawn from ATMs. to pay by card when picking up a newspaper at the kiosk or at the ice cream parlor, most payment transactions in this country are still made with cash and euro bills. Germans cling to cash, payments by girocard (formerly EC Card), credit card or even newfangled by app via smartphone remain rare. Although discounters such as Lidl and Aldi have recently upgraded their technology and are now able to offer numerous payment options in addition to cash, and this is increasingly being used by customers, the payment of small sums at kiosks, snack bars or market stalls is still made in cash.
Strike of the money couriers
But this love of cash could now take its revenge. The money couriers have gone on strike and there is therefore a threat of problems with cash supplies.
The timing of this strike is extremely inconvenient, at least from the point of view of customers and banks. For the cash couriers and their union verdi, on the other hand, things couldn’t be going better. After the irregular working days caused by Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the weekends, some ATMs are already empty and cannot be replenished with fresh money in time. Banks and stores also have to get by without cash deliveries or collections of the day’s takings.
Cash from the ATM | Photo: 3dman_eu, pixabay.com, CC0 Creative Commons
Verdi wants with this strike the working conditions for about 12.000 employees in the cash and valuables services sector.
No serious problems for the time being
Since many cash-in-transit companies went on strike at the same time, the effects are being felt particularly strongly. Nevertheless, this strike will not lead to serious and widespread problems in the supply of cash. Nevertheless, some ATMs will have to stop their service in the short term.
The Federal Association of German Money and Value Services does not expect a collapse in the supply of cash in Germany. The strike of the money couriers is still too harmless for that. Only if the cash transport companies all at the same time and for a longer time from bspw. If there were a strike lasting several weeks, the effects would be felt quickly.
Nevertheless, it is never wrong to always have a certain amount of cash in the house or wallet and to consider the topic of emergency supplies for extraordinary cases*. This is not scaremongering and one should not exaggerate this, but if the worst comes to the worst, one is then well prepared.