Dhe trade unions Ver.di and EVG are escalating the collective bargaining conflicts in the public sector and on the railways and have announced a full-day warning strike for next Monday, which should largely paralyze Germany. It is an unusually rapid escalation of the dispute, so far only two first rounds of negotiations have taken place both in the public sector and in the railway sector. The employers have each submitted offers.
In addition to local and long-distance public transport, strikes are also to be held at airports, the motorway company and shipping in order to put pressure on employers. Walkouts by employees at Deutsche Bahn, private railway companies, ground staff at all airports except Berlin and aviation security are planned from midnight to midnight on Monday.
According to Ver.di, the warning strike at Autobahn GmbH should also result in some motorway tunnels having to be closed to traffic. Local public transport is on strike in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony.
The employees at locks are also said to stop working and thus contribute to the obstruction of inland shipping, and the port of Hamburg is also on strike.
The two unions want to largely bring the country to a standstill with this attempt at a mobility general strike. Ver.di boss Frank Werneke said he assumed that the warning strike would have a “massive effect”. “This is present to us and it is necessary.”
What is surprising is the rapid escalation, especially in the conflict between the railway and transport union (EVG) and Deutsche Bahn. So far, the EVG has been considered the more moderate of the two railway unions. The major rail strikes of recent years have always been at the hands of the competing train drivers’ union GDL. This time she is not involved in the planned strikes.
Restrictions possible from Sunday
EVG boss Martin Burkert advised travelers to get to their destination early on Sunday. Although the strike does not officially start until midnight, there is no guarantee that restrictions will not come into effect as early as Sunday evening, when employees’ shifts that do not end until after midnight are affected.
The EVG does not feel “taken seriously” by employers, said Burkert. “Employers turn a blind eye to the needs of employees.” It must not happen that railway employees are decoupled from general wage developments.
Deutsche Bahn only submitted an offer in mid-March and offers, among other things, a tax-free inflation compensation payment of 2,500 euros, and wages are to be increased by five percent in two steps.
The degree should be valid for 27 months. The EVG, on the other hand, has demanded, among other things, an increase of twelve percent for a twelve-month term, and all salaries are to be increased by at least 650 euros. Ver.di demands 10.5 percent and at least 500 euros. “We can hardly call the Deutsche Bahn offer an offer,” said Cosima Ingenschay, Vice President of the EVG.
In addition to inflation, the unions also argue with the labor shortage in many of the occupational groups that are now called to strike. The employees are therefore “completely overworked”, and there are also low starting salaries, which are often only just above the minimum wage.
Deutsche Bahn criticized the announced warning strike and announced a complete cessation of long-distance traffic on Monday, and most trains would also be canceled in regional traffic. “The EVG must face up to its responsibility and return to the negotiating table immediately,” demanded HR Director Martin Seiler.
Strikes are also possible at Easter
“We have submitted a responsible offer and are ready to talk at any time.” The next regular negotiation date at the end of April is far too late. “Striking now and then not negotiating for four weeks, that can’t be serious for the union,” said Seiler.
EVG boss Burkert also expressly did not rule out strikes over the Easter holidays. Work stoppages are the last resort, said his deputy Ingenschay. But there is time pressure in the collective bargaining dispute, since the employees would need quick help to cope with the high inflation.
“We have no time for negotiating banter,” said Ingenschay. Therefore there will be further warning strikes if there is no major progress in the next round of negotiations. Ver.di boss Werneke demanded in particular significant improvements in the offers from employers in terms of the term and the minimum amount.
The union does not fear that the early strike could lose the support of the population, said Ingenschay. However, a representative survey commissioned by the employers’ association AGV Move casts doubt on this assessment.
Almost half of those questioned (48.4 percent) judged the demands of the EVG to be inappropriate or rather inappropriate. On the other hand, only 34.9 percent described it as appropriate or rather appropriate.
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