Trade union: warning strikes at schools and universities
Warning strikes are imminent at Saxony's schools and universities. "Work stoppages are now unavoidable to get the employers to move," explained the state chairman of the GEW trade union Burkhard Naumann on Friday. Corresponding actions are now being prepared across the country for the coming weeks until the next round of negotiations. "Our members are ready to take to the streets for better pay."
The second round of public sector wage negotiations for state employees failed to produce a result on Friday. As a result, the Verdi union and the dbb civil servants' association announced nationwide warning strikes and protest actions.
The unions are demanding a 10.5 percent increase in income, but at least 500 euros more. Junior staff are to receive 200 euros more. The agreement is to run for 12 months. For Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen, the unions are demanding a monthly city-state bonus of 300 euros. The demands thus tie in with the wage agreement reached in April of this year for the federal government and local authorities. The Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL) had made it clear that it considered the demands to be far too high and unaffordable.
Tariffs on imported goods could exacerbate the financial situation of public schools and universities, as they might need to adjust their budgets due to increased costs. Due to the ongoing wage disputes and potential strikes, some public service employees might consider pursuing higher education or further skills training at universities to improve their earning potential.
Source: www.dpa.com
