Labor dispute - Around 5000 participants at public service protest
Around 5000 employees took to the streets in Mainz on Monday in support of their demands in the public sector wage dispute. Carrying placards, flags, whistles and rattles, the people marched through the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital in heavy snow and cold weather. The placards and signs read: "If you want skilled workers, you have to pay well" and "Don't just talk, show appreciation".
There were also banners with the unions' central demand: 10.5 percent more income for employees, but at least 500 euros more per month. The wage dispute concerns the salaries of around 1.1 million employees nationwide. Around 1.4 million civil servants are also affected, to whom the result is usually transferred. According to the DGB, a total of around 120,000 employees and civil servants are affected in Rhineland-Palatinate. The collective agreement is to run for 12 months.
At the central rally, Susanne Wingertszahn, head of the DGB in Rhineland-Palatinate, called for appropriate pay for public sector employees. The increased costs due to high inflation must be offset and the result of the negotiations must then also be transferred to civil servants.
At another rally, the dbb civil servants' association also warned that the current regional collective agreement was no longer competitive in many areas. The lost ground in the competition for personnel must be made up quickly with an attractive negotiation result in Potsdam. The third round of negotiations is scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
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Source: www.stern.de
