Clinics - The minister will mediate in the tariff dispute at Asklepios
Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) will intervene in the tightening labor dispute at the Asklepios Clinic in Pasewalk (District of Vorpommern-Greifswald). She and Vorpommern-State Secretary Heiko Miraß have invited the clinic management, works council, and other employee representatives to a meeting at the Health Ministry in Schwerin. The meeting is reportedly scheduled for the coming Thursday.
The union Verdi called for a warning strike at Pasewalk yesterday and today. The strike is supposed to take place from Tuesday to Thursday of the coming week. They are demanding higher wages and a collective agreement for the non-medical staff of the Hospital. Since the privatization of the former district hospital Pasewalk more than 20 years ago, there has been no collective agreement for the nursing staff, according to Verdi.
Complaints from Asklepios employees to Minister Drese
Minister Drese made it clear that, as a minister, she could not directly intervene in wage negotiations. However, due to numerous complaints from hospital employees that had been submitted to the state government, she wants to contribute to finding a solution. The dispute is also affecting the provision of care. "It's high time for common solutions to be found for fair wages and better working conditions," said the Minister.
Tense situation in hospitals
She emphasized that she was aware of the tense situation in many hospitals in the state. The state government is actively working to ensure adequate financing for necessary hospitals. Some progress has already been made in negotiations with the federal government. So the liquidity of hospitals has been improved.
- The dispute at the Asklepios Clinic in Pasewalk has drawn the attention of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament, with several members expressing concern about the impact on patient care.
- Stefanie Drese, the SPD's Health Minister in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has urged the United Services Trade Union and the Works Council to engage in constructive dialogue with the clinic management to resolve the fare dispute.
- The District Vorpommern-Greifswald is home to numerous healthcare facilities, and the current situation at the Asklepios Clinic has raised concerns about the stability of the healthcare sector in the region.
- The German Federal Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (BMG) has been closely monitoring the situation at the Asklepios Clinic and has offered its support to Minister Drese in finding a resolution to the dispute.
- The Works Council at the Asklepios Clinic has expressed its support for the warnings strikes called by the United Services Trade Union, citing the need for better working conditions and wages for non-medical staff.
- The Hospital in Pasewalk, which is now operated by the Asklepios Group, was once a public facility, and the absence of a collective agreement for nursing staff has been a point of contention for many years, according to the United Services Trade Union.
- The tension at the Asklepios Clinic has stretched beyond Pomerania, with trade unions from other regions expressing solidarity with the workers and calling for fair wages and working conditions in the healthcare sector.
- The upcoming meeting between Minister Drese, the clinic management, works council, and other employee representatives offers a glimmer of hope for a potential resolution to the dispute, with both sides committed to finding common ground for the betterment of healthcare services in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
