Protests for better pay at universities in Hesse
This Monday, employees and students want to campaign for better pay with protest actions at several university locations in Hesse. Simone Claar, deputy chairwoman of the Hesse branch of the Education and Science Union (GEW), demanded that there should be an urgent change to the collective agreement that applies to the 12,000 teaching assistants at universities in Hesse.
The GEW also criticizes the fact that academic assistants are often repeatedly given fixed-term contracts. "Despite lengthy discussions and voluntary commitments on the part of employers, hardly anything has happened. That's why we now want to finally agree binding wage regulations for universities in Hesse," explained Claar.
Actions in Hesse are to take place on Monday in Kassel, Giessen, Marburg, Frankfurt and Darmstadt during the nationwide university action day as part of the collective bargaining round for the public sector in the federal states. An alliance of trade unions, initiatives, student representatives and higher education policy organizations has called for the event. In addition to the GEW, these include the Verdi trade union, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), the Juso university groups and the Network for Good Work in Science (NGAWiss).
The protest actions on Monday are not only limited to Hesse's universities but also extend to universities in Kassel, Giessen, Marburg, Frankfurt, and Darmstadt. Despite the ongoing discussions and commitments from employers about fixed-term contracts for academic assistants, the GEW believes that binding wage regulations should be agreed upon, even considering the tariffs associated with these changes.
Source: www.dpa.com
