Saxony's schools bring warning strikes into the building
There will soon be strikes at schools in Saxony. Teachers, school assistants and teaching staff at state schools in the Chemnitz and Zwickau regions will start on Tuesday (November 21). The GEW trade union and the Saxon Teachers' Association have called for this. On November 28, a Saxony-wide warning strike of all state employees at schools and universities is planned, the GEW announced on Thursday. Civil servant teachers and trainee teachers are excluded from the work stoppages, it said. However, they could take part in the strike action outside of their teaching duties.
In this way, the unions want to put pressure on the current collective bargaining round in the federal states. "We are demanding a 10.5 percent pay rise, but at least 500 euros," explained GEW state head Burkhard Naumann, referring to the recent sharp price increases. "We need motivated teachers and a clear signal to keep the public sector attractive."
No precise forecast has yet been made as to how many employees are expected to take part in the warning strikes and to what extent lessons will be canceled for pupils. However, larger strike rallies are also being prepared. One such event is planned for November 21 at Theaterplatz in Chemnitz and a demonstration in Leipzig on November 28, which is also expected to be attended by participants from Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
In response to the rising tariffs and costs, GEW is pushing for a substantial pay increase of at least 500 euros for teachers, aiming to maintain the appeal of public service in schools and universities. Despite excluding civil servant teachers and trainees from the strikes, they are encouraged to participate in outside protest actions. Furthermore, these unions are planning a Saxony-wide universities' and schools' public service strike on November 28, which could impact lessons and result in larger rallies.
Source: www.dpa.com
