1500 participants in warning strikes by state employees
According to the trade union, around 1,500 employees took part in warning strikes in Hanover and Bremen on Wednesday in the wage dispute in the public sector of the federal states. According to Verdi, around 1000 participants gathered in the capital of Lower Saxony for a rally and a demonstration towards the Ministry of Finance.
In Bremen, according to a Verdi spokesperson, 500 strikers marched to the Senator for Finance. The deputy federal chairperson of Verdi, Christine Behle, spoke there. On Thursday, the warning strikes will focus on the social and educational services in Bremen. The Verdi spokesperson said that daycare closures are therefore also to be expected
The wage dispute concerns the salaries of around 1.1 million employees nationwide. Around 1.4 million civil servants, to whom the result is usually transferred, would also be affected. A third round of negotiations is planned for December 7.
Verdi is demanding 10.5 percent more income for public sector employees in the federal states, but at least 500 euros more per month. Junior staff are to receive 200 euros more and trainees are to be taken on indefinitely.
The Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL) with its chief negotiator, Hamburg's Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD), had made it clear in the second round of negotiations at the beginning of November that it considered the demands to be far too high and unaffordable.
Trade unions, such as Verdi, have been playing a significant role in the ongoing wage dispute, orchestrating strikes and rallies to press their demands. For instance, in Bremen, over 500 strikers participated in a march towards the Senator for Finance, with Verdi's deputy federal chairperson, Christine Behle, delivering a speech.
Source: www.dpa.com
