Thousands of doctors demonstrate for more money
Wednesday, May 10, 6:15 a.m.: Several thousand doctors from community hospitals demonstrated nationwide on Tuesday for higher wages and better working conditions. The doctors’ union Marburger Bund had called for this.
According to the doctors’ union in Frankfurt am Main, around 5,000 doctors from several federal states gathered at the central strike rally. The police spoke of 3500 to 4000 participants.
In addition, according to the doctors’ union, more than 1000 doctors followed the call in numerous countries, such as in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. According to the doctors’ union, 1,500 doctors gathered in Hamburg near the Dammtor station. A little more than half, around 600, physicians participated in Lower Saxony. In Saxony, on the other hand, only “a few doctors” took part in the strike, according to a spokeswoman for the Marburg Association.
In order to ensure medical care, agreements for emergency services were made with the hospitals in advance. In Hamburg, non-urgent operations were also postponed.
The doctors’ union had called for the walkouts in the course of the wage dispute with the Association of Municipal Employers (VKA). This is intended to increase the pressure on employers after four rounds of negotiations so far without a result.
Nationwide, the Marburger Bund is demanding inflation compensation from employers for doctors at municipal clinics and a uniform salary increase of 2.5 percent. Both are to be implemented retrospectively for January 1, 2023. According to the Marburger Bund, around 55,000 doctors are being negotiated nationwide. Employers speak of around 60,000 people affected.
The VKA already criticized the strike in a statement on Monday as “completely unfounded” and “disproportionate”. On May 22, the Marburger Bund and the VKA want to meet for the fifth round of negotiations.
EVG announces new rail strike – date still unclear
7:26 p.m.: In the collective bargaining dispute with Deutsche Bahn and other transport companies, the railway and transport union (EVG) has announced a new industrial dispute. There is “little movement” at the negotiating table and against this background “another warning strike is unavoidable”, the union announced on Tuesday. The date is still unclear, but the EVG wants to provide information on the period and focus of what is now the third warning strike in the current bargaining round at a press conference on Thursday at 9 a.m.
Although, for example, “a monthly fixed amount is increasingly being offered as a wage increase instead of a percentage”, the EVG explained, a collective agreement is still “a long way off”. The improvements demanded by the EVG would have to be “clearer and faster”. However, employers are not ready for this.
For a period of twelve months, the EVG calls for wage increases of a total of twelve percent, but at least EUR 650 gross per month. In addition, she calls for the immediate statutory minimum wage as the basis on which the demands are based. The union has already rejected two offers from the railways as insufficient. Above all, they provided for longer terms and one-off payments, which the union rejects.
Around 1000 clinicians in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate are on strike
Tuesday, May 9, 12:43 p.m.: Around 1,000 doctors at several municipal hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate stopped work on Tuesday. This was reported by a spokesman for the Marburger Bund trade union, which had again called for warning strikes throughout Germany in the current collective bargaining dispute. With the start of the morning shift, employees at 33 clinics in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate took part in the campaign.
Most of the clinicians left for Frankfurt to take part in the central rally in Frankfurt at noon, the spokesman said. “In addition, more than 200 doctors at the six locations in Bad Oeynhausen, Detmold, Bielefeld, Gelsenkirchen, Neuss and Marl are on strike in North Rhine-Westphalia,” it said. There should be a local rally with around 100 participants in Neuss at noon.
The medical union emphasized that emergency care was guaranteed. Delayed examinations or operations would be canceled. Most recently, there was a work stoppage at the end of March. Even before the fifth round of negotiations on May 22, the employers still hadn’t put any offers on the table. The Marburger Bund is calling for inflation compensation and a linear increase in salaries by 2.5 percent for the approximately 55,000 doctors at municipal clinics across Germany. The association of municipal employers’ associations rejects this as excessive.
Verdi resigns warning strike in Bavarian retail
Monday, May 08, 3:53 p.m.: In the Bavarian retail sector, Verdi has announced “a first major strike action” for next week. The union did not give details on Monday. At the start of the collective bargaining for the 320,000 employees, the employers had previously offered a wage increase in increments of five percent over a period of two years and a one-off payment of EUR 1,000. Verdi demands 2.50 euros more hourly wages for a one-year term, but at least 13.50 euros hourly wages.
Collective bargaining is scheduled to continue in Munich on May 13. For the current year, the wage commission of the Bavarian Trade Association (HBE) offered in the first round a 3 percent wage increase and a one-off payment of EUR 750, for next year two percent plus a one-off payment of EUR 250. Verdi rejected the offer as “shameless” and outrageous. For a saleswoman on the final salary, a five percent wage increase in two years would mean an hourly wage increase of 88 cents. “The one-time payment would be offset against operational payments and will not be included in future increases. For so-called crisis companies, this can also be deviated from below.”
“An offer of 0.52 euros more per hour this year will lead to massive real wage losses,” said Verdi negotiator Hubert Thiermeyer. The HBE dismissed the union’s claim as excessive. It corresponds to an increase of 14 percent in the seller’s basic salary and 25 percent in the lower wage brackets. The industry is under pressure because of the reluctance to buy, said HBE collective bargaining director Melanie Eykmann.
Demonstration by university medicine employees – new negotiation date is set
Saturday, May 6th, 10 a.m.: There is light at the end of the tunnel in the collective bargaining dispute at Mainz University Medicine. At least one further hearing was agreed during a two-day warning strike. Before that, it had gotten loud in downtown Mainz.
Even before the end of the warning strike at the University Medical Center in Mainz, the collective bargaining parties agreed on a new negotiation date. The talks are scheduled for May 30, as Unimedizin and the Verdi union announced on Friday. In the morning, around 900 non-medical employees of the largest hospital in Rhineland-Palatinate vented their anger and loudly protested with whistles for more money. The demo procession moved from the clinic grounds through the city center, past the Ministry of Science and back again.
The warning strike, to which Verdi had called around 7,300 non-medical employees at university medicine, began early on Thursday morning with the early shift and was to last until early Saturday morning. According to the university medicine, an emergency service ensures urgent treatment during the warning strike, but there may be delays or appointment cancellations.
The last, fourth round of negotiations ended last Wednesday without an agreement. Subsequently, the commercial director and chief negotiator of the university medicine, Christian Elsner, said: “We very much regret that we did not reach a collective agreement today and therefore could not avert the negative effects on the care of our patients.” It will continue to be a trusting one and constructive dialogue with the collective bargaining partners.
According to Verdi, university medicine had offered a three-stage pay increase – two percent retrospectively from January 1st, 2023, another two percent from June 1st, 2023 and another two percent from January 1st, 2024. The union thinks that is not enough, this offer would bring an intolerable loss of real wages for all employees.
After Saturday morning there will be no more strikes until May 30th, said Verdi representative Silke Steetskamp on Friday. However, if there is no “negotiable offer” again, there could be further work stoppages.
Collective bargaining agreement in the Bavarian brewing industry
Friday, May 5, 6:27 a.m.: Shortly before the start of the beer garden season, the Bavarian brewers and the NGG trade union agreed on a collective bargaining agreement. With a term of 24 months, the approximately 10,000 employees will receive 285 euros more from June 1, 2024, and salaries will then increase by a further 3.9 percent from March 1, 2024, as the Bavarian Brewers’ Association announced on Thursday. According to the NGG, this corresponds to an overall increase of 11.7 percent. In addition, the employees will receive an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros in three tranches. For the trainees there is not only more money but also improvements in days off.
The tariff conflict could only be resolved by arbitration in 14-hour negotiations, which lasted into the night from Wednesday to Thursday. The Brauerbund sees the result as “an enormous additional burden”. But one had to face a difficult choice: “Accept an arbitration that is difficult to justify or risk a strike with an uncertain result.”
At the NGG, on the other hand, one speaks of an important and urgently needed step, which was only achieved through the great determination of the employees. “If the arbitration failed, the brewing kettles would have stayed cold from next week,” said negotiator Mustafa Öz.
More information on the warning strikes on the following pages.
