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.
warning strikes in local transport in several federal states
8:05 p.m.: Because of a renewed warning strike in several federal states, people in many places waited in vain for the bus or tram on Thursday. The Verdi union had called on employees in several transport companies in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg to stop working on Thursday.
A trade union spokesman in Baden-Württemberg confirmed the start of the warning strike to the German Press Agency. Local public transport is affected there in numerous regions. According to the Verdi regional spokesman, nothing was running on numerous lines in North Rhine-Westphalia either. Regiobus Hanover also reported failures of heavily frequented lines.
According to Verdi, around 2,000 employees took part in the warning strike nationwide by noon on Thursday. The union expects that the number will increase because some companies go on strike after shift times, it said.
Verdi and the employers’ association Deutsche Eisenbahnen are negotiating more money for around 5,000 employees nationwide. More than 2,000 employees nationwide took part in the first warning strikes of this collective bargaining round last Wednesday. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for May 5 in Fulda.
Warning strikes in several federal states in public transport and clinics
Thursday, May 04, 2023, 09:42: Local public transport has now been shut down in some federal states:
- NRW – Cologne, Minden, Oberbergischer Kreis
- Baden-Würtemmberg
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Lower Saxony
- Bayern
The university clinic in Mainz has also switched to emergency services because of the warning strikes. With the start of the early shift on Thursday, a warning strike started at the University Medical Center Mainz. According to the union, Verdi called on around 7,300 non-medical employees to stop work.
The warning strike is planned until the end of the night service on Saturday morning, as Silke Steetskamp from the Verdi state district of Rhineland-Palatinate-Saarland said. According to Unimedizin, an emergency service ensures urgent treatment. However, there may be delays or cancellations.
That is why many are joining the warning strikes:
Many under 40,000 euros! – What the striking professions earn
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More warning strikes for public transport and clinics on Thursday
3:05 p.m.: Further warning strikes will be carried out for Thursday 4 May 2023. Public transport and Mainz University Medicine are affected. The latter is to be on strike until Saturday morning, so that operations that can be planned may be postponed. An emergency service will be set up.
The federal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg must expect severe restrictions on public transport tomorrow. In Bremen, too, public transport will be stopped until tomorrow morning.
Public transport in Bremen is still on strike
Wednesday, May 03, 2023, 09:44: Since Tuesday, the Verdi trade union has been on strike for 48 hours on buses and trams operated by the Bremen transport company BSAG. According to its own statements, Bremer Strassenbahn AG is not planning an emergency timetable. “We are on strike,” says the company’s website. According to Verdi, local transport from other providers such as Deutsche Bahn, Nordwestbahn and bus companies from the Bremen area is not affected. The walkouts were intended to increase pressure on employers ahead of the fifth round of negotiations with BSAG on May 9.
48 hours-warning strike: Buses and trams in Bremen are at a standstill
Tuesday, May 02, 2023, 8:18 p.m.: Nothing has been running since Tuesday morning: buses and trams in Bremen are said to be at a standstill until Thursday morning (3:00 a.m.). Employees of the Bremen transport company BSAG are on a warning strike. “Everything started as planned,” said a spokesman for the Verdi service union on Tuesday of the German Press Agency. Verdi had called for the warning strike.
With the strike before the fifth round of collective bargaining with the Bremen tram company on May 9, Verdi wants to increase the pressure on employers. The Verdi negotiators rejected the latest offer because it did not offer competitive wages. It is not enough to close salary gaps with other local transport companies.
“In this way, the staff can neither be retained nor urgently needed new employees found,” says Franz Hartmann, union secretary at Verdi. This also jeopardizes the planned traffic turnaround. The union is demanding an increase in wages of EUR 600 from March 2023. The training allowance is to increase by EUR 278 per month.
According to the union, local transport from other providers such as Deutsche Bahn, Nordwestbahn and bus companies from the Bremen area is not affected. A rally of workers from the BSAG and EVG is planned for Wednesday. The participants want to gather around 9.30 a.m. on the station forecourt at Bremen Central Station.
No rapprochement in Galeria collective bargaining
4:17 p.m.: According to the Verdi union, the fourth round of collective bargaining for the workforce of the insolvent department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof also ended without a result. There is still no negotiable offer from the company, said Verdi negotiator Marcel Schäuble on Friday. The department store group did not comment on the negotiations.
The union had clearly rejected the idea of a department store collective agreement with permanently reduced wages, said Schäuble. “We are now expecting a clear concession and a negotiable offer in the next round.” Another waiver is not reasonable for the employees after the loss of purchasing power due to inflation and energy price increases in recent months. The fifth round of negotiations is scheduled to take place on May 25, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main.
In recent weeks, workers in numerous Galeria branches have gone on warning strikes in support of union demands for better wages and salaries. Germany’s last large department store group had to seek rescue again in protective shield proceedings at the end of last year and is currently in the middle of a difficult restructuring process. According to the restructuring plan approved by the creditors in the course of the insolvency proceedings, more than 40 of the last 129 branches nationwide are to be closed and thousands of jobs cut.
You can read more information about the warning strikes on the following pages.
