Collective bargaining for the public sector: “The employees want to see action”

Status: 01/24/2023 09:17 a.m

Collective bargaining for the public sector starts today. More than 2.5 million employees are affected. The unions are demanding 10.5 percent more wages. The federal and local governments are struggling with this.

Before the collective bargaining for the public sector, the unions are still stubborn. “The employees want to see action,” said the chairman of the civil servants’ association dbb, Ulrich Silberbach, to the dpa news agency. Ver.di boss Frank Werneke emphasized that the workforce could not be fobbed off with warm words.

Negotiations for more than 2.5 million federal and local employees begin today in Potsdam. Nationwide warning strikes are possible. How likely that is depends on the federal and local employers, Werneke told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Garbage workers, bus drivers, fire brigade

The incomes of garbage collectors, educators, nurses, lawyers and bus drivers, among others, are negotiated. Thousands of professions are affected – including firefighters, geriatric nurses, sewage treatment plant workers, foresters and doctors. So they would affect “the entire public service,” Werneke announced in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung.” The effects of warning strikes on citizens could be correspondingly large.

Ver.di and dbb are demanding 10.5 percent more income, but at least 500 euros more per month. Other union demands include a term of twelve months. Apprentices, students and interns should also receive an additional 200 euros a month.

Demands as a challenge

The Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations (VKA) had already described implementation as “simply not affordable” after the presentation of the demands in October. “We understand the concerns of employees in view of the current high inflation, but municipal employers are also in an extremely difficult situation,” said VKA President Karin Welge, SPD Mayor of Gelsenkirchen.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD), who is leading the negotiations on the part of the federal government, said according to a statement: “The demands of the trade unions are high and they are facing a tight budget situation, especially in the municipalities.”

More demands on municipal employees

In addition to inflation, the crisis-related increased demands in the public sector are among the special circumstances of these negotiations. There is a “long list of reforms at the expense of municipal employees,” said VKA President Welge of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.

The German Association of Towns and Municipalities called for a conclusion “with a sense of proportion”. Managing director Gerd Landsberg warned in the newspapers of the Funke media group that the financial situation of the municipalities was developing dramatically. “Of course there will have to be an increase in salaries, since employees are also suffering from high inflation,” said Landsberg. “At the same time, however, one focus should also be on further improving working conditions, for example with even more flexible working time models, so that it may be possible to persuade more part-time employees to increase their working hours.”

Billions in costs for federal and local authorities

According to the VKA, the costs for the required wage increase for municipal employers would amount to around 15.4 billion euros. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this would result in additional costs of around 1.4 billion euros per year for the federal government, or 4.7 billion if transferred to civil servants, judges and soldiers. From the point of view of the trade unions, the collective bargaining result should be applied to civil servants, judges and soldiers without any compromises

The third round of negotiations, which is expected to be decisive, is scheduled for March 27-29.

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