Public Sector Strikes Continue in Dusseldorf
In a series of ongoing labour disputes, public sector employees across various German cities are taking part in strikes, aiming to put pressure on employers ahead of the next round of talks scheduled to take place in Potsdam from March 27 to 29, 2023.
The striking workers include employees from LVR Clinic Langenfeld, nursing and elderly care centres in Solingen, the city of Wuppertal, municipal clinic of Solingen, Helios Clinic Niederberg, Sana Clinic Remscheid, and local administrations in the Mettmann district and the Mettmann district administration. These employees will gather for a rally in Düsseldorf on Tuesday.
Strikes are also planned to occur at city administrations of Wuppertal, Solingen, and Remscheid. On Thursday, March 16, employees of Rheinbahn Düsseldorf, Regiobahn GmbH, and Regiobahn Fahrbetriebsgesellschaft (S28 and RE47) will go on strike, causing significant disruptions to public transport.
The strikes are part of a broader movement, as public sector employee mood remains poor. According to Stephanie Peifer, district manager of ver.di Düsseldorf-Rhein-Wupper, the strike plans are intended to keep pressure on employers ahead of the next round of talks.
ver.di, the union representing many of the striking workers, is demanding a 10.5 percent wage increase or an additional 500 euros per month for a period of twelve months for public sector employees. The union's demands highlight the need for employers to make significant concessions to resolve the wage dispute in the third round of talks.
Unfortunately, specific details about the key demands and further details of the public sector strikes in Germany, particularly focusing on the third round of talks in Potsdam, are not widely available at this time. However, public sector strikes in various countries during 2023 have often centred on issues such as pay increases, working conditions, and labour rights.
For more detailed information on the specific talks in Potsdam, it may be necessary to consult more targeted sources or news archives from that period.
- The ongoing labour disputes in Germany extend beyond healthcare and local administrations, as employees in the finance and banking-and-insurance sectors are considering joining the strikes.
- The transportation industry could also be impacted if workers from public-transit companies, such as Rheinbahn Düsseldorf, Regiobahn GmbH, and Regiobahn Fahrbetriebsgesellschaft, decide to go on strike, similar to the disruptions anticipated on the S28 and RE47 lines on March 16.
- Despite the ongoing strikes, various public sector unions, like ver.di, continue to advocate for improvements not only in wage increases and working conditions but also in the broader aspects of the industry, including the financing and insurance sectors.
