Employees at Haribo's main plant in Bonn walked off the job on Friday in an 18-hour warning strike over wages, the food and hospitality union NGG said.
The union called for the stoppage across all shifts at the facility, which employs around 600 people. About 90 workers joined a rally outside the factory gates, and production of gummy bears and licorice slowed significantly, the NGG said. A Haribo spokesperson put participation in the low double digits.
The warning strike is part of a wider dispute in the North Rhine-Westphalia confectionery industry, where the previous collective agreement expired in April and covers roughly 17,000 workers. The NGG is demanding a 5.8 percent pay increase over 12 months, while employers have offered two 2 percent raises and two one-time payments of 156 euros over 24 months. Lindt and Lambertz facilities were also struck.
Haribo reported record candy sales in 2025, even as overall German confectionery output fell nearly 4 percent. The fourth round of negotiations is scheduled for August 13.