Germans hoping to do some New Year's shopping may find themselves without the cash to do so amid a strike by security van drivers.

File photo: VCG

The ver.di union said Tuesday it's urging 12,000 employees of firms that distribute cash to banks and stores to walk out on Jan. 2, the first regular day of business in Germany in 2019.

Cash remains the preferred method to buy many items in Germany and cards are often rejected in smaller stores and restaurants.

The union wants hourly pay to rise 1.50 euros ($1.72) or 250 euros ($289) a month, and the pay gap between workers in eastern Germany and western Germany closed by 2021.