Public services union ver.di is mobilising its members in regional government for a series of warning strike in the lead up to the third round of bargaining which begins on 28 February. The union says that there was no breakthrough in the second round of negotiations. The main demands are for a 6% pay increase for the 2.3 million employees with a minimum rise of EUR 200 over a 12-month period. The union also wants specific structural pay increases in care and IT, with an extra EUR 300 on the pay table covering care workers to help tackle recruitment problems. Ver.di is angry that a commitment from the federal government to cover the increases for care workers is seen by the regional government employers as a way of funding the general pay rise.
Union calls warning strikes in lead up to next regional negotiations
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Warning strikes around the country in the lead up to new negotiations
The next round of pay negotiations for central and local government workers will get underway on 25 February following a series of warning strikes organised by ver.di. From 14 February thousands of council workers, federal employees and health workers in different cities and regions began taking strike action to show their disgust at the failure of the employers to make any significant improvement to their earlier pay offer. Ver.di reports high levels of support for strike action and a rise in union membership in some areas. Ver.di has set up a “Strike TV” website where you can follow progress
Warning strikes lead to negotiated settlement
Pressure on the employer from a series of warning strikes at the Suez Süd waste company, enabled services union ver.di to secure a new pay agreement that runs until 31 December 2018. The first pay increase of 2% is backdated to 1 August this year and the next pay rise will be a further 2% from 1 August next year. There will also be two lump sum payments, one net payment of EUR 150 and one of EUR 125 gross. Apprentices will get an extra EUR 275 this year and EUR 150 next year.
Unions organise warning strikes before next negotiations
Services union ver.di is organising warning strikes across the country in the lead-up to the third round of negotiations covering federal and local government which are due to begin on 15 April. With no concrete pay offer from the employers at the second round of negotiations, ver.di argues that the warning strikes are needed to put pressure on them to take a constructive approach at the bargaining table. The union wants a pay rise of 6% with a EUR 200 a month minimum increase to help the low paid. For ver.di it is crucial to increase pay to make jobs in the sector more attractive and keep pay