Health insurance workers take action

Germany

Service union ver.di organised warning strikes in the statutory health insurance providers, AOK and BARMER on 8 February. The aim was to put pressure on the employers during negotiations that cover around 75,000 employees in the two companies. For workers in AOK ver.di is demanding a 5.9% increase and a minimum rise of €200 in a 12-month agreement. The employer wants a 24-month agreement with only a lump sum of €800 in March 2022 and a 1.2% in January 2023. Ver.di is also concerned that there are moves to exclude one AOK region from coverage of the agreement and is challenging the unilateral dismantling of collective bargaining. At BARMER, ver.di is calling for a 3.8% increase with a €150 minimum and a simultaneous reduction in working hours by one hour with full wage compensation. The employer’s first over was a lump sum of €1000 and a 2.3% increase in January 2023 in a 27-month agreement. A cut in working time was rejected.

More like this

Jun. 24, 2022

Health insurance workers take action over pay and jobs

Bulgaria

Over 1500 employees of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) took part in a one-hour warning strike on 13 June organised by trade unions in the CITUB and Podkrepa confederations. The unions are calling for an increase on the basic salaries of all NHIF employees and the creation of at least 200 new full-time positions to ensure that the service can copes with new demand on the NHIF. The unions estimate that an extra BGN 10 million (€5.1m) is needed to cover these costs and wants to ensure that this is include in the NHIF budget for 2022. NHIF workers are highly qualified specialists

 S
Mar. 13, 2024

Health insurance workers strike to secure better pay offer

Germany

Members of ver.di at the state-owned DAK health insurance company took strike action on Tuesday 12 March to put pressure on the company in the lead up to the third round of collective bargaining. DAK only marginally improved its offer in the second round of negotiations. Ver.di has called for a 12.5% pay increase with at least €555 more per month – for a term of 12 months. For trainees, there will be €250 more per month. DAK employs around 12,000 people nationwide and the next round of bargaining was due on 15 March.

 S
Apr. 09, 2020

Health professionals call on government to cover insurance costs

Poland

The NIPIP nurses' and midwives' union along with four other organisations representing health professionals has written to the government calling for guarantees that it will cover life insurance costs of health workers who fall ill or die as a result of contracting COVID-19. The organisations say that commitment should be the same as that already made to some hospital health employees. The NIPIP has also recognised the tremendous mental strain faced by many of its members and is providing psychiatric help for those who need it.

 S