- The Labor Authority Prohibits Prescribed Industrial Action by Workers at MHH
The Regional Labor Court in Hannover prohibits another protest strike by medical school employees in their dispute over a relief collective bargaining agreement. The presiding judge pointed out that the strike infringes upon the duty to maintain peace, as a representative from the labor court noted. Furthermore, "objectives cannot be achieved through a strike that cannot be achieved through a strike." No additional details were disclosed.
The nursing staff's demands for a relief collective bargaining agreement were submitted to the Medical School Hannover's leadership on May 8, with the deadline having expired. The union called for a warning strike, with hundreds of MHH employees temporarily ceasing work last Friday. The state government reportedly filed a lawsuit against a planned three-day warning strike commencing this Wednesday at the Labor Court.
Union to wait for written judgment
The employees are requesting an additional regulation, with a relief collective bargaining agreement intended to establish needs-based staffing ratios and workload balancing through free days when agreed staffing ratios are not met.
In response to the ruling, the union stated that it would await the written judgment before deliberating on further actions. David Matrai, the responsible department head, said, "It's clear that we will keep fighting for a relief collective agreement at the MHH, as it already applies at 21 other hospitals across the country. We therefore urge the state government to finally engage in collective bargaining negotiations."
Verdi: Refine demands
Verdi's regional head, Andrea Wemheuer, pointed out that the court had not outright rejected the demand for a relief collective bargaining agreement at the MHH, but rather urged more specificity in the demands. She stressed, "We will address this promptly to strengthen our position later."
Lower Saxony's Minister of Science, Falko Mohrs, declared, "The labor court's decision benefits patients." The SPD politician clarified that the focus now is on a "practical solution" for employee relief, with a relief agreement already having been proposed to them. "The proposal to conduct discussions at an operational level remains," he added.
The United Service Union expressed their intention to wait for the written judgment from the Labor Court before making a decision on their next steps. David Matrai, a department head, reiterated the union's commitment to securing a relief collective bargaining agreement at the Medical School Hannover.
Following the court's ruling, Andrea Wemheuer, the regional head of Verdi, announced that they would refine their demands to better strengthen their position and comply with the court's suggestion for more specificity.
