Public service strikes are spreading in Germany.
According to the German “Focus” magazine, the strikes in Germany are still going on in protest of wages and the Verdi union has announced work stoppages in various sectors.
According to German media, several thousand public sector employees plan to go on strike in Berlin on Monday and Tuesday. The Verdi union expects these strikes to have around 6,000 to 7,000 participants per day. Among other things, several hospitals, cleaning services and Berlin’s baths and swimming pools are on strike. A joint strike rally is scheduled to be held on Tuesday.
Therefore, Berlin’s Charité Hospital has postponed some pre-planned treatment operations, and the swimming pools are also expecting restrictions. Warning strikes are also planned for Monday in federal services, the German army and the water and shipping administration. According to Verdi, a strike will be held for the first time in the army hospital on Tuesday.
Christoph Schmitz, a member of Verdi’s national board, said that the employers’ previous offer in collective negotiations was not capable of reaching an agreement. He added: “That is why we are now pushing across the country for the employers to surrender.” The KAV employers’ association criticized the warning strike and called on the union to return to the negotiating table.
The reason for these warning strikes is collective bargaining for public sector employees at the federal and local levels. Verdi and the civil servants union dbb are demanding 10.5 percent and at least €500 more wages for 2.5 million employees across the country. Employers presented the proposal in a second round of negotiations at the end of February. including a five percent salary increase in two stages and a one-time payment of 2,500 euros. The unions immediately denied this.
Warning strikes also affect Berlin’s municipal cleaning service (BSR). According to their information, garbage collection, bulky waste collection services, recycling yards and street cleaning should be canceled all day Monday and Tuesday.
