Before the start of the second round of collective bargaining in the federal states’ public services, the civil service association dbb called for significantly more speed in the negotiations. “We are running out of time,” said dbb boss, Ulrich Silberbach, to the German Press Agency. There must be noticeable convergence between the positions in this round of negotiations.
The unions increased the pressure on the state side with possible warning strikes, because for them it is clear: the ball is in the interlocutors’ court. Collective bargaining for millions of state public sector employees continues this afternoon in Potsdam.
“Employers have been putting off making the necessary decisions and setting priorities for far too long. Now we have to change course and invest,” said Silberbach. The demands are timely, proportionate and affordable and the situation in the public service is precarious. Verdi called on employees of Berlin daycare centers, social workers in administration as well as educators and social workers at schools to go on warning strikes on Thursday.
The deputy federal chairman of the police union, René Klemmer, made it clear before the meeting that strikes could be imminent if there were no results. “The collective bargaining employees in the police are more motivated than ever to let the employers feel their displeasure unfiltered,” he told the dpa. The unions are prepared if, contrary to expectations, there are delays in collective bargaining.
After the first round of negotiations in Berlin at the end of October there was no result. The collective bargaining community of German states also did not submit an offer. However, the position remained unchanged after the first round: the demands were too expensive and set too high and the states could not afford this.
