At many university hospitals there have been restrictions in the care of patients due to warning strikes. The doctors stopped work for a day to increase the pressure in the deadlocked collective bargaining dispute with the federal states.
In the collective bargaining dispute with the states, the Marburger Bund union has called on more than 20,000 doctors from the 23 state-owned university hospitals nationwide to go on a warning strike. According to the Marburger Bund, around 5,000 doctors from all over Germany came to the central rally in Hanover. There were also actions in Freiburg, Tübingen, Heidelberg, Munich, Jena, Aachen and Cologne.
The union is demanding 12.5 percent more pay for doctors and improvements to working conditions. So far, no agreement has been reached with the Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL) in three rounds of negotiations.
Marburger Bund: Basic salary lower than in municipal hospitals
The working conditions at the university hospitals harm patient care, said Hans Martin Wollenberg, First Chairman of the Marburg Federation of Lower Saxony. The university hospitals urgently need to increase their attractiveness as employers so that more doctors want to work there again. There, the basic salary for doctors with longer working hours is around 200 to 600 euros below that of municipal hospitals.
In the past, university hospitals could have relied on always being able to recruit enough young people to provide highly specialized care for seriously ill patients, says Andreas Botzlar, second federal chairman of the Marburg Association. But that is becoming increasingly difficult, “because those responsible for the university hospitals refuse better conditions,” said Botzlar.
restrictions possible, but care for emergencies
The TdL regretted the failure of the last round of negotiations with the Marburger Bund and announced its willingness to compromise. “It remains the case that our appreciation for the work of the doctors at the university hospitals should also be expressed in money,” said Monika Heinold (Greens), Finance Minister of Schleswig-Holstein and TdL negotiator.
The warning strike is resulting in restrictions in the clinics on strike, for example in non-urgent, postponeable operations. However, care for emergencies and vital treatments should be guaranteed.