Monday, November 1st, 2021
“No time for games”
Unions want quick collective agreement
Unions and federal states are negotiating again about the pay of more than two million workers. In view of the corona situation, the employee representatives warn for a game on time. In view of the shortage of skilled workers, they are also pressing for an adequate degree.
At the beginning of the second round of negotiations, the unions called on the federal states to make rapid progress in the collective bargaining dispute over public service workers. “Against the background of the worsening corona situation, there is absolutely no time for delay games at the negotiating table,” said Verdi boss Frank Werneke in Potsdam. Werneke asked the state employers to submit a negotiable offer. Among other things, teachers and educators as well as police officers are affected.
The trade unions have been negotiating with the collective bargaining association of German states (TdL) about the income of more than one million employees since the beginning of October. A degree is to be transferred to 1.4 million civil servants and around one million pension recipients.
Werneke accused the TdL of sending the signal to the employees “that their work, worries and material needs are completely indifferent to their employer”. It is particularly outrageous that the burdens on health care workers are not recognized. The employers did not want to notice the rising inflation rate, which is now 4.5 percent. Werneke: “It doesn’t work that way.”
The chairman of the Beamtenbund dbb, Ulrich Silberbach, warned: “We are running out of time, in the negotiations as well as in strengthening the public service.” The countries will soon have to invest three or four times in recruitment and entry bonuses money that they are not now investing in attractive pay.
The second round of negotiations is scheduled for Tuesday and the negotiations are expected to be concluded at the end of November. The unions are demanding, among other things, five percent more salary, at least 150 euros per month, in the health sector 300 euros more. TdL negotiator, Lower Saxony’s finance minister Reinhold Hilbers, had rejected the union demands as unrealistic.
Silberbach said: “The TdL negotiator Hilbers and the entire collective bargaining community of German states should slowly realize that at least a third of their employees will retire in the next ten years.” The staff shortage will worsen.