Public sector workers are continuing their strike action against attempts by local and regional employers to impose longer working hours. Around 3,000 university clinic employees are on strike around the North-Rhine Westfalia region, including in Cologne, Münster, Essen and Düsseldorf.
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In the Lower Saxony region an estimated 4,000 workers have joined the strike.
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In Baden-Württemburg ver.di is running advertisements in the region's cinemas focussing on how the longer hours will mean a cut in jobs.
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The strike action in the public sector has boosted ver.di's membership with 20,000 new members joining since the start of the year, with 12,000 in the key strike areas of Lower Saxony, North-Rhine Westfalia and Baden-Württemburg.
Read more at > ver.di
Strike action over longer hours continues
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Anger builds up over longer working hours
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Campaign builds against longer working hours
Services union ver.di is warning local authority employers that they will face strike action if they push ahead with plans to increase the working week. The union says it will defend jobs and working time in local authorities and maintain pressure on the regional government employers to sign up to the deal agreed with federal and local government at the beginning of last year. Local authorities in Baden-Württemburg, Lower Saxony and Hamburg have all announced their intention of increasing hours. The union's response is that strike action will begin in Baden-Württemburg from 6th February. s