“Rude of the unions”: Association of Cities criticizes major strike on Monday as excessive

The announced traffic strike caused a stir throughout Germany. The Association of Towns and Municipalities shows no understanding, but consumers do.

The German Association of Towns and Municipalities has criticized the announced nationwide traffic strike as excessive. “Monday’s strike comes very close to a general strike and goes well beyond a warning strike”said the chief executive officer of the community association, Gerd Landsberg, of the Düsseldorfer “Rheinische Post”. In addition, the work stoppages “rude of the unions because the next round of negotiations is taking place exactly on Monday”.

The head of the association also criticized the fact that the Verdi union also “Kitas in sight again” take. These have been on strike again and again for weeks, and a high level of sick leave among the educators is causing further bottlenecks. “After the Corona horror, this is a huge burden for families and often cannot be solved if both are working”Landsberg admitted in the “Rheinische Post” to consider.

Besides, be it “not in such a way that the federal and local governments have not already made a decent offer in the collective bargaining round”. But Verdi wants to get even more out of it. “It is doubtful whether the time for such rituals is right now”, criticized Landsberg. It is also questionable whether this strike will increase popular understanding for the unions.

The chairwoman of the Council of Economic Experts, Monika Schnitzer, shows understanding for the nationwide traffic strike. “Here we see a collective bargaining conflict that is neither unusual nor incomprehensible”said Schnitzer of Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” from Saturday. She referred to the burdens on employees due to high inflation.

“Due to high inflation, employees in Germany had to accept an average real wage loss of more than three percent last year”said Schnitzer. “We expect inflation to be 6.6 percent again this year.” Against this background, high wage demands are understandable.

However, it must also be avoided “that a wage-price spiral drives inflation further”, warned Schnitzer. That is why the federal government has also made tax-free one-off payments from employers to employees possible and decided on measures to curb high energy costs. “I am convinced that the collective bargaining partners will ultimately reach an agreement that is acceptable to all sides”said Schnitzer.

According to a dpa survey, a majority of consumers in Germany are also understanding of the warning strike next Monday. However, this majority is small: Around 55 percent of those surveyed believe that the Verdi and EVG unions are in favor of a joint industrial action “rather” or “fully” justified. This emerges from a survey by the opinion research institute Yougov on behalf of the German Press Agency. A good 38 percent find the action “rather not” or “not at all” justified, eight percent made no statement.

Respondents find it equally justified and unjustified to attack several modes of transport at the same time.

However, only a minority is restricted by the effects: A total of 69 percent of those surveyed stated that they would probably not be affected by the warning strike. One in five stated that they felt the effects as a user of buses and trains in local and regional transport. Seven percent were affected as long-distance travelers by train. Two percent expressed themselves as affected air travelers.