Munich: major strike today – which areas are affected – Munich

This Tuesday, the Verdi trade union called on thousands of employees in numerous municipal departments and companies to go on strike. The Munich Verdi managing director Heinrich Birner expects a high willingness to go on strike. “This will be the biggest strike rally in 30 years,” he said Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Who is called to walkouts?

All administrative areas of the city are called to the strike, social and educational servicethe waste management company Munich, several companies of municipal utilitiesincluding the baths, also the Munich Clinic, Stadtsparkasse, Employment Agency and other positions.

Because strikes can be spontaneous, it was not entirely clear in advance which areas would be affected. For example, the city recommended daycare parents to ask the respective management directly whether the facility is expected to be open normally, to be partially operational or whether it will be closed completely. In any case, there are restrictions on the disposal of waste and recyclable materials, as pointed out by the Munich waste management company (AWM). Accordingly, due to the warning strike, all recycling centers, the earthworks in Freimann and the used goods department store in Halle 2 will be closed on Tuesday. The recyclables and the poison mobile do not drive. Bin emptying would also have to be suspended for the most part – the garbage will only be picked up at the next scheduled rotation.

What about public transport?

Local public transport is not affected by the warning strikes this time because separate collective bargaining negotiations are under way and the Munich transport company MVG has already achieved partial success with its inclusion in the area collective agreement.

Are more strikes planned in Munich?

On Thursday, March 23, work stoppages are to take place at Munich Airport again, lasting six hours. According to Verdi, the strike will start at 8 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. “It is urgently necessary to increase income at the airport in order to attract colleagues to work at the airport. Otherwise we are threatened with flight chaos this summer as we did last year,” said Manuela Dietz from Verdi Bayern on Monday . She asked passengers for their understanding, they would have to expect longer waiting times. However, the union said that flight cancellations are not expected.

Where do the strikers meet?

The strikers have been gathering since around 9 a.m. at various locations in the city center – at Stachus, Odeonsplatz, Max-Joseph-Platz, Augustinerkeller and Löwenbräukeller, and initially sign themselves on the strike lists there. At eleven o’clock there is a central rally on Marienplatz. The Munich Verdi managing director,birr, expects well over 3000 participants. He’s already at Marienplatz. “The first ones will come here from around 10 a.m.,” he told the SZ. The union cannot yet provide an overview of the number of strikers.

According to Verdi, people from several strike companies will speak at the rally. In addition, Yasmin Fahimi, the head of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), is to come.

What does Verdi demand – what does the employer side offer?

The union wants to push through 10.5 percent more wages for the nationwide 2.5 million federal and local employees, but at least 500 euros more per month. In expensive Munich, employees suffered particularly badly from inflation, which is making food, energy and rent more and more expensive. In addition, there is a high workload, since thousands of positions are now vacant. The state capital alone lacked more than 4,000 employees.

The employers offer a total of five percent increase in two steps – with a total term of 27 months. There is also a one-time payment of 2500 euros. The offer is a “mockery,” saysbirr, given the high inflation rate. “Many in the lower income brackets really don’t know where they can still save,” he says.

How are the negotiations going?

The third and final round of negotiations will take place in Potsdam from March 27th to 29th. Should the talks fail, an arbitration round with external arbitrators could be carried out. If that doesn’t happen, Verdi will hold a ballot on an indefinite strike, Birner told the SZ. If 75 percent of the union members voted for it, it would then go into a tough industrial dispute.

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