Germany-public sector workers strikes and protests for better wages
The strikes and protests erupted after negotiations failed to increase wages and better working conditions
The first
regional protests and warning strikes have begun in Germany, after two rounds
of collective bargaining negotiations failed to diffuse a dispute over wages and working
conditions for the 2.3 million public sector employees in Germany. Local
authorities, day care centres, and hospitals are just some of the
institutions affected.
The public
sector workers across Germany will join so-called “warning strikes” protesting
against working conditions in kindergartens, hospitals, municipal utility services,
and other public service institutions. The strikes are expected to continue in
the coming days, with action expected in towns and cities across Germany.
In
Gütersloh, for example, around 40 employees gathered in front of the hospital
on Tuesday morning. Ver.di official Volker Hoppmann said, “Clapping is not
enough - we want to be paid decently.” Strike action was also reported in
Augsburg, Freiburg, Unna, Duisburg, Remscheid, and Kiel, and in other locations
across North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and
Lower Saxony.
Industrial
action is also scheduled to take place in other parts of the country later in
the week. Public sector employees in Hamburg, for example, will go on
strike next week.
The trade
unions called for the warning strikes after collective bargaining for the
approximately 2.3 million workers working in federal and local governments
remained unsuccessful. Ver.di chairperson Frank Werneke called the strikes
“inevitable.”
So far,
employers have not made an offer on these demands - prompting the unions to
call a strike on Sunday. A third round of negotiations is scheduled to take place
on October 22 and 23.
Although the
strike is expected to cause fairly widespread disruption, a recent opinion
survey has found that the majority of people in Germany sympathise with its
aims. According to a Forsa survey commissioned by the broadcasters RTL and N-TV,
63 percent of respondents indicated support for the strikes.
49 percent
considered a wage increase of 4.8 percent to be appropriate, while eight
percent said that the increase was too low. A clear majority of 78 percent
agreed to the demand that care workers in the public sector should receive a
larger wage increase.
The mood is
angry. As in other countries, only a few months ago politicians praised
front line workers, especially those staff in hospitals, care homes,
kindergartens and the public transport for their heroic work during the first
Corona-19 virus wave. Now they say they want a wages ‘zero-round’, fueling
anger.
Many nurses, but also cleaners and other
hospital staff, feel they are overworked and underpaid. A result was that it
was not rare that calls by workers for an extra 500 euro a month were raised in
discussions before the union made its formal demands. Some activists felt the
demands now on the table are not enough. While inflation is officially low,
with prices for cars and other ‘big item’ purchases going down, food and rent
costs are rising at a much faster rate.
Post a Comment