Medical care facility - University hospital workers urged to participate in a cautionary work stoppage by Verdi.
Female and male patients at the universities in Tübingen, Freiburg, Ulm, and Heidelberg will experience reduced services on Monday as a result of a work stoppage declared by the trade union Verdi. Verdi has urged non-medical staff to go on strike. "On a strike day, the hospitals function more like a holiday," explained Verdi negotiator Jakob Becker beforehand.
The strike will lead to postponed operations and closed beds, according to Becker. However, he assured that patients will still receive safe treatment through emergency service agreements. A new round of wage negotiation talks is scheduled for Tuesday in Stuttgart.
In these negotiations, Verdi is demanding a 10% pay raise for the approximately 30,000 employees, at least an additional 500 euros per month. They are also calling for the introduction of a life phase account, relief for caregivers, and better training quality. These negotiations apply to employees whose employment relationships are covered by the collective agreement of universities in Baden-Württemberg. Doctors and scientific personnel are not included in this agreement.
The employers harshly criticized the plans for a strike. They described it as "aggressive and unjustified action". They mentioned that they couldn't present an offer in the first round of negotiations in early May, as they only received the demands from Verdi for the first time on that day. During the second round of negotiations on Tuesday, they will present an offer for the union's wage demands.
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- The United Services Union, supporting the University hospital workers in Fribourg, has issued a warning strike notice, urging participation.
- The healthcare system in Tuebingen, Freiburg, Ulm, and Heidelberg may face disruptions due to potential demonstrations linked to the skills shortage issue in Baden-Württemberg's University Hospitals.
- Verdi, the trade union, has announced tariff discussions for the approximately 30,000 workers in the healthcare system, focusing on a 10% pay raise, improved training quality, and other demands.
- The proposed strike has drawn criticism from the employers, who view it as an aggressive and unjustified action, as they were yet to present an offer during the initial round of negotiations.
- The United Services Union's demands also include the introduction of a life phase account and relief for caregivers, with negotiations scheduled in Stuttgart on Tuesday.
- Doctors and scientific personnel, not included in the agreement covering university employees in Baden-Württemberg, will continue to operate independently during these negotiations and potential strikes.
- The impact of the strike on the hospitals' services and patient care will be significant, with possible postponed operations, closed beds, and a reduced capacity in these renowned healthcare facilities.
