Warning strikes in MV: Employees demand 7% more wages – This is how it continues!

Warning strikes in MV: Employees demand 7% more wages – This is how it continues!

Warning strikes are currently agitating people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Next Wednesday, January 14th, the unions are calling for action to draw attention to the demands in the collective bargaining dispute for the public sector. This mobilization comes before the collective bargaining round on Thursday, where negotiations are to continue for over 900,000 collective bargaining employees in the states. How NDR reported, those affected include foresters, police employees, teachers at universities and road services.

The Education and Science Union (GEW) expects that there will be disruptions in school operations, although schools should generally remain open. An emergency service agreement between the Ministry of Education and the GEW ensures that care is guaranteed in primary and special schools. The unions have also organized shuttle buses to take participants to the demonstration in Schwerin. However, it should be noted that decentralized warning strikes cannot be ruled out either.

Demands and rejection

The unions are demanding an increase in income of 7 percent or at least 300 euros more per month. These demands were rejected by the Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL) as unaffordable. As in a report by South German newspaper can be read, the negotiator Andreas Dressel even described the demands as “astronomical”. The problem of a lack of offers from employers could lead to further warning strikes, as the civil service association dbb announced.

For the unions, working conditions in the public sector are in jeopardy: overtime, staff shortages and the need to increase purchasing power are becoming increasingly urgent. Ver.di boss Frank Werneke emphasizes that there are no employees in hundreds of thousands of public sector positions, which puts the attractiveness of the sector in the shadow of the free economy. Mayors and municipal officials are concerned, noting that public budgets are already under pressure and could be further burdened by tariff demands.

Local reactions

In the last few days there have already been work stoppages in other federal states, including Berlin, where daycare centers, schools and district offices were affected. As the MDR noted, representatives from Jena and Weimar expressed mixed reactions. The mayor of Jena, Christian Gerlitz, showed understanding for the tariff demands, while Peter Kleine, mayor of Weimar, described them as excessive and warned that they could possibly lead to debates about cuts.

The next round of negotiations will therefore be crucial in resolving the tensions between the unions and the collective bargaining community and, if necessary, finding a way out of this tense situation. It looks like January 14th could be another crucial day in this collective bargaining dispute.