The Verdi trade union has reached a wage agreement for the nursing staff of Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) Augsburg, which it hopes will send a nationwide signal. By September 2023, the weekly working time will be reduced in two stages by two hours each with full wage compensation to 35 hours. From the end of 2024, educators in daycare centers and educational staff in homes or advice centers will also have a 35-hour week. Verdi regional department head Robert Hinke said at the request of the Catholic News Agency (KNA) on Tuesday that it was the first collectively agreed introduction of the 35-hour week in this industry in Bavaria, possibly even in Germany. With around 1000 employees, the AWO Augsburg is a relatively small institution compared to Caritas and Diakonie. However, the union is convinced that sooner or later other associations will follow the good example. “We agreed with the union not only to talk about often stressful work situations, but also to make concrete improvements,” said Werner Weishaupt, spokesman for the AWO management. It is an organizational and economic tour de force. “But we like doing it because we are investing significantly in the attractiveness of the nursing and social professions.” After the collective bargaining agreement, the employees concerned can also opt for a wage increase instead of a reduction in working hours until mid-June.
First in-house tariff for 35-hour weeks in care – Bavaria
