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Verdi expands warning strikes in the public sector
In the collective bargaining dispute in the public sector, employees in the federal states will be called upon to go on warning strikes and protest actions in the coming days and weeks. photo
© Robert Michael/dpa
Schools, daycare centers, citizens’ offices – from this Monday the unions want to flex their muscles in the public service – until the next round of negotiations in December.
Werneke further told the newspaper: “Especially in the two weeks before the next negotiation date on December 7th and 8th, the daycare centers that are covered by the collective agreement of the states will be on strike, this particularly affects Berlin.” Other employees in social work and at university hospitals would also be called on a warning strike. “This may result in non-acute operations having to be postponed in some hospitals.” Emergency care will be guaranteed.
Teachers would also be called on strike, said Werneke. Especially in the eastern German states and in Berlin, there are many teachers who are employed and not civil servants and who can therefore go on strike. “Classes will also be canceled.” In the city states, the citizens’ offices also went on strike.
Negotiations so far without result
At the beginning of November, the second round of negotiations for around 1.1 million public sector employees in the federal states ended, as expected, without a result. Around 1.4 million civil servants are also affected, to whom the result is usually transferred. A breakthrough could be achieved in the third round of negotiations in December.
The unions are demanding 10.5 percent more income, but at least 500 euros more. Young talent should receive 200 euros more. The tariff period should be 12 months. For Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen, the unions are demanding a monthly city-state allowance of 300 euros.
Verdi and the civil service association dbb made similar demands in the previous collective bargaining dispute for the federal and local public services. Werneke emphasized in the SZ: “I have the firm intention of not ending the collective bargaining round until there is a result that is comparable to the agreement reached by the federal and local governments. There, on average, we have 11.5 percent more wages across all employee groups achieved.”
The head of the Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL), Hamburg’s Finance Senator Andreas Dressel, rejected the demands as unaffordable and pointed to a “very difficult fiscal situation” in the states.