Customs duties are being imposed. - GEW urges a second work stoppage at educational institutions.
The Education and Science Workers' Union (GEW) is persisting in their push for smaller class sizes in Berlin's schools. They've announced another warning strike for June 20th, inviting teachers, social workers, and school psychologists to join them. This move comes as the Berlin Senate is set to debate the issue in the House of Representatives on the same day.
Leading the charge is Anne Albers, head of the Civil Servants and Collective Bargaining Policy department at the GEW Berlin. She hopes that by issuing a warning ahead of time, the Berlin Finance Senator might finally be willing to start negotiations. The union is adamant about smaller classes, arguing that it would make for healthier working conditions for the over 34,000 teachers and other school staff, and also boost the quality of education.
Since 2021, the GEW has been advocating for a Health Protection Collective Bargaining Agreement that would address class sizes and other staff-related issues. However, the Berlin Senate has refused to improve working conditions, instead pointing to the Tarifgemeinschaft der Länder (TdL), a coalition of states that needs to approve such talks.
Frustrated, the GEW has been staging warning strikes since 2021. On May 22nd, around 2,500 employees partook in the strike, disrupting some schools. The GEW maintains that a collective bargaining agreement would be the ideal solution to secure sustainable smaller classes and better working conditions for teachers. However, they're also open to the possibility of amending the School Law as an alternative approach.
In a parallel move, the GEW is also encouraging staff at Berlin's privately run daycare centers to strike on Thursday. The union is urging close to 7,600 daycare workers from 282 centers to participate. These centers care for around 35,000 children. Altogether, there are approximately 2,900 daycare centers in Berlin, with about 165,000 kids under their care.
