Germany: towards a strike by public sector unions on the issue of wages
On May 20 in Berlin, nurses and nurses demonstrated for higher wages and better working conditions.
REUTERS / Fabrizio Bensch
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
A week of high tension opens in Germany.
Begun in early September, wage negotiations in the public sector are deadlocked.
The unions are preparing to file strike notices.
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The German unions Verdi (“Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft”, “unified service union”) and dbb (“Deutscher beamtenbund und tarifunion”, Federation of German civil servants) are demanding a 4.8% increase in wages.
This demand concerns more than 2.3 million civil servants of the federal state and local communities.
The health sector is particularly concerned because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is on the rise again.
For Frank Werneke, secretary general of Verdi, the work of public sector employees has ensured the country's cohesion in the face of the coronavirus.
This work should be well rewarded.
But until then, it doesn't show.
The proposed wage freeze is unacceptable to this trade unionist.
For his part, Ulrich Silberbach of the dbb, believes, "
that kind words and applause, especially when it comes to healthcare workers, is not enough
".
The previous wage increase was obtained by the German unions in 2018. Spread over three years, it was 7.5%.
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See also: Covid-19: Germany takes measures against corporate bankruptcy filings
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