Unions continue strikes in the public sector
Several trade unions in Hamburg continued their warning strikes on Tuesday in the wage dispute in the public sector of the federal states. The Verdi trade union had called on its members, in particular those working in the building yards of the Hanseatic city, to strike. Members of the German Justice Union (DJG) and the German Civil Service Union (DBB) also held a vigil in front of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court on Sievekingplatz. Information on the number of participants in the warning strike actions was not available.
Verdi had announced last week that it would continue to strike in "one area of public services and one area of technical infrastructure" until Thursday. For Wednesday, the union has called on employees from district offices, schools, the education authority and the state school construction company as well as the fire department, the state education and advisory service and the state roads, bridges and waterways company to go on warning strike. According to earlier information, the strike will focus on the northern district. A strike demonstration is planned for the morning in Volksdorf.
Verdi is demanding 10.5 percent more income for employees in the public sector of the federal states, but at least 500 euros more per month. Junior staff should receive 200 euros more and trainees should be taken on for an indefinite period. The union is also demanding a monthly city-state bonus of 300 euros. The Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL) with its chief negotiator, Hamburg's Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD), had made it clear in the second round of negotiations that it considered the demands to be far too high and unaffordable.
A breakthrough could be achieved in the third round of negotiations starting on December 7. The negotiations concern the salaries of around 1.1 million employees. Around 1.4 million civil servants are also affected, to whom the result is usually transferred. In Hamburg, including trainees, around 46,000 employees and indirectly 42,000 civil servants are affected.
In response to the unaffordable demands by Verdi, the Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL) suggested considering alternative measures, such as implementing tariffs on certain public services, to offset the proposed wage increases. Meanwhile, the ongoing strikes by various unions in the public sector could potentially lead to disruptions in key public services, affecting the general public.
Source: www.dpa.com
