Doctors' union mobilises over working time

Germany

The Marburger Bund (MB) doctors' union organised a warning strike and 5000-strong national demonstration in Frankfurt on 10 April in protest at the failure of the VKA employers' organisation to address the union's key demands on working time. The negotiations cover around 55000 doctors employed in 500 municipal hospitals across the country. MB is calling for a set of clear measures to ensure better working time planning, reduced workloads and more free time. Following the third round of bargaining the union regards the latest employers' offer as just not worth considering. MB is looking for a reform of rules on on-call time, strict procedures on recording working time, two free weekends per month, clear maxima for on-call hours, no full-time work after a period on on-call and additional pay for on-call hours. The union has convened its collective bargaining committee to decide what next steps to take.