COLOGNE/BONN (dpa-AFX) - The trade union Verdi has once again called warning strikes in the wage dispute at Deutsche Telekom. While the union announced that around 12,000 employees took part in the nationwide walkout on Monday, Telekom reported 10,000 participants. Customer service, field service and technology were on strike - Telekom customers sometimes had to wait longer when calling the hotline and some technicians did not show up as originally agreed.

The strikes affected Group divisions in which a total of 70,000 tariff employees work in Germany. Verdi is demanding a pay rise of 12 percent for a contract term of 12 months; the employers have not yet presented an offer. The third round of negotiations began on Monday and should run until Tuesday.

A Telekom spokesperson said that the current talks are about finding a way to reach a compromise that is acceptable to both sides. "We are trying to minimize the impact of the accompanying warning strikes on our customers as much as possible and, for example, make up for cancelled technician appointments as quickly as possible."/wdw/DP/jha