In May, the cleaning staff at the University Hospital in Regensburg went on strike for days, leaving rubbish and unmade beds piling up in the corridors. They are demanding to be paid according to the state collective agreement (TV-L), which applies to all other hospital employees except doctors. Now the service staff have achieved their first victory. The Hospital Services Company (KDL), a subsidiary of the University Hospital Regensburg, has agreed to wage negotiations with the service union Verdi.
As recently as May, the University Hospital and the KDL took the position that the service staff had never been employees of the Regensburg University Hospital and therefore had no right to their own collective agreement. They were paid according to the applicable framework collective agreement for the building cleaning trade. According to Verdi, however, this is only the industry minimum wage of 13.50 euros gross per hour.
On Tuesday, both parties agreed to start collective bargaining. The declared goal: a separate collective agreement for the KDL. This sets the course for resolving the current wage dispute, said Robert Hinke, regional department head of Verdi. It is about equalizing working and income conditions. The service employees are essential for the hospital’s operations. “This must also be reflected in the income.” KDL managing director Philipp Atzler also called the talks with Verdi an important step. We are working intensively on a tailor-made solution that meets the needs of our employees and takes the difficult economic situation into account.