Germans worry their beloved kebab may get more pricey or even scarce because of factory strike

Germans are in kebab angst. They worry that their most beloved street food option, the spicy, juicy kebab in a pita that can be found on every street corner across Germany, may get more expensive—or even worse, that the country may be sliding into a national kebab shortage. Even if these fears may sound exaggerated at first, they aren't unfounded. Workers at one of Germany's biggest kebab factories are locked in a bitter and ongoing fight with their employer over wages and working conditions. For weeks, workers at the Birtat Meat World SE factory in southwestern Germany have repeatedly stopped the production line by walking off their jobs in "warning strikes," demanding wage increases of 375 euros ($434) per month. Birtat, which is located in Murr, 30 kilometers (nearly 20 miles) north of Stuttgart, has been making kebab skewers for more than 30 years. The company says on its website that it makes skewers of ground beef, veal, chicken or turkey kebab that can weigh up to 120 kilograms (260 pounds). The workers chop up the meat, marinate it and push chunks of the raw meat onto long metal skewers. The meat is then shock-frozen and delivered to restaurants all over the country. Birtat says it supplies thousands of kebab stands and fast-food places and reaches more than 13 million consumers every month. Some restaurant owners worry that should the workers decide to go on a long-term strike, the Germans' favorite fast-food snack may indeed become more expensive or even scarce. Germans already complain that the meaty snack, which used to be a cheap staple that sold for 2.50 euros about two decades ago, has become too expensive, with most places charging at least 7 euros ($8) or more. Halil Duman was pondering the state of the kebab business as he was busy slicing off thin pieces of ground beef at Pergamon Döner, a small eatery at Berlin's Friedrichstrasse train station, where people were lining up for lunch. "It's all getting more and more difficult," the 68-year-old Turkish immigrant said. "The produce is becoming more expensive, and we barely make profit anymore." This article was provided by The Associated Press.