Negotiation procedures stem from an initial judicial decision
The fifth round of negotiations over doctors' salaries at local health facilities fails to produce a concrete outcome, as perceived by the doctors' union. The main issue at hand is the antiquated system for shift pay, which has been in place for over seven decades.
The latest round of wage negotiations between the Marburger Bund and the employers' associations for doctors in municipal health facilities ended without a resolution, as announced by the doctors' union in Berlin. The meetings held over the past two days resulted in "no tangible progress." However, there is a "basis" for continued discussions, which will take place on November 14.
According to the lead negotiator for the doctors' union, Christian Twardy, there are "numerous unanswered questions and areas of dispute" that need to be addressed. For an agreement to be reached, the employers must demonstrate "sufficient adaptability." "The upcoming meeting will reveal whether a compromise can be achieved without further escalation," Twardy explained. Besides a substantial wage increase, the simplification of the shift work regulations, which have been in effect for approximately 70 years, is a major point of contention. The Marburger Bund advocates for a significantly streamlined system.
On the other hand, the lead negotiator for the Association of Municipal Employers' Associations (VKA), Dirk Köcher, highlighted that despite the financial challenges faced by municipal hospitals, the employers have proposed "concrete steps" towards recognizing and compensating particularly demanding night shifts. The VKA now expects "a clear indication of a willingness to reach an agreement" from the Marburger Bund. "Hopefully, a collective wage agreement can be achieved in the next round," Köcher concluded.
The collective wage agreement, which is negotiated with the VKA, applies to around 60,000 female and male doctors in municipal health facilities across Germany, with the exception of the Vivantes clinics in Berlin and other hospitals, primarily in eastern Germany, which have separate agreements.
The Marburg Union, being the collective bargaining body for doctors, has previously expressed disagreements with the employers' associations over the shift pay system, echoing the sentiments expressed during the failed negotiations about doctors' salaries. In the upcoming meetings, the Marburg Union will insist on the modernization of the shift work regulations, aiming for a more streamlined system.
