Childcare - Senate lacks understanding for five-day warning strike in daycare centers
At the start of a five-day warning strike at Kindergarten (Kita) owner-operated businesses in Berlin, the Senate expressed incomprehension. "We cannot simply conduct wage negotiations with regional unions", stated the State Secretary for Youth and Family, Falko Liecke, to RBB24 Inforadio, referring to the Tariff Association of the States. This is being ignored by the union Verdi. In addition, there is a personnel quota set by the Kita-Foster Law.
With demonstrations in front of the CDU headquarters and the Rathaus Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, the five-day warning strike in Berliner Kita owner-operated businesses begins. The Senate continues to block a constructive solution in the interest of employees, parents, and children, according to Verdi. The union aims to increase pressure to begin negotiations on a wage contract for pedagogical quality and relief. Already in previous weeks, kindergartens were struck on a total of seven days.
"We have a dramatic crisis in the kindergartens, which will become even more dramatic if the Senate doesn't finally take care of relief now", said Dana Griesche, pedagogical expert in the Kita-Eigenbetrieb Südost, according to Verdi.
Finance Senator Stefan Evers (CDU) recently spoke of "senseless strikes on the backs of children and parents". According to his statements, the Land Berlin cannot negotiate a corresponding wage contract with Verdi, which, among other things, regulates group sizes and compensation for burdens. Evers argues that Berlin is a member of the Tariff Association of the States (TdL) and therefore cannot make decisions on such tariff-legal matters alone. The Verband Bildung und Erziehung (VBE) Berlin is providing support. Verdi criticizes this stance as not credible.
According to Senate statements, there are approximately 2,900 kindergartens in Berlin, many of which are run by free providers. There, around 165,000 children are cared for. The warning strike affects around 280 municipal kindergartens. There, approximately 7,000 childcare workers and other employees care for about 35,000 children.
- Falko Liecke, the State Secretary for Youth and Family, expressed confusion about the five-day warning strike organized by Verdi, stating that the Senate cannot negotiate wages directly with regional unions.
- The United Services Union (Verdi) has planned a five-day warning strike in Berlin's Kindergarten (Kita) owner-operated businesses, causing disruption and frustration among parents and children.
- In response to the warning strike, Finance Senator Stefan Evers (CDU) criticized the action, calling it senseless and claiming that the Land Berlin cannot negotiate a wage contract with Verdi without violating the rules of the Tariff Association of the States (TdL).
- During the demonstrations, Verdi argues that the Senate is obstructing a constructive solution and is failing to address the need for increased wages and better working conditions for childcare workers, which would improve pedagogical quality and alleviate the burden.
- Dana Griesche, a pedagogical expert in the Kita-Eigenbetrieb Südost, supported the strike, stating that the crisis in the kindergartens will only worsen if the Senate doesn't take immediate action to provide relief.
- The warning strike affected around 280 municipal kindergartens in Berlin, with approximately 7,000 childcare workers and other employees caring for about 35,000 children, who were directly impacted by the walkout.
- Falko Liecke and Stefan Evers, both influential figures in Berlin's Senate, are at odds with Verdi over the wage dispute, with the union calling for negotiated resolutions to the crisis in the city's Kindergartens.
