The collective bargaining for the approximately 2.5 million employees in the federal government and in the municipalities go into the second round on Wednesday. It’s about fair pay, competitive working conditions and motivated employees, said the head of the civil servants’ association dbb, Ulrich Silberbach. “We finally want to hear constructive ideas and offers. Otherwise, the conflict and the strikes will intensify.”
Verdi boss Frank Werneke told the newspapers of the Funke media group that the willingness to take part in campaigns was more pronounced among the employees than it had been for a long time. “There’s real pressure on the boiler now.” Some of the warning strikes that have been going on for days are to be continued on Wednesday.
That’s what the demands are
The dbb called on the municipalities to support their employees in the fight. “Instead of against their own employees, the municipalities should rather fight with them for better financial resources,” said Silberbach. We are aware of the corresponding concerns of the city treasurers, but “the situation is not the fault of the colleagues or an income development that is getting out of hand. The responsibility for this lies with the federal government and above all with the federal states, which support the cities and municipalities financially bleed out.”
So far, there has been no significant rapprochement in the collective bargaining dispute. Verdi and dbb are calling for an increase in income of 10.5 percent for federal and municipal employees, but at least 500 euros per month for a period of twelve months. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the minimum amount in the lower pay groups would result in increases of over 20 percent in some cases. Apprentices, students and interns should receive 200 euros more per month.
Employers reject this as economically unacceptable. Negotiations continue on Wednesday and Thursday in Potsdam.
High additional costs as a result
The negotiations concern, among other things, educators, nurses, bus drivers, geriatric nurses, firefighters, garbage workers and a number of other professions that are employed by the federal government or the municipality. A separate collective agreement applies to the employees of the federal states.
According to the Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations (VKA), the cost of the required wage increase for municipal employers would amount to around 15.4 billion euros. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this would result in additional costs of around 1.4 billion euros per year for the federal government.
