German trade union ver.di has announced a second round of public sector strikes. Among other services, industrial action will impact rubbish collection, Kitas and public transport in the coming weeks.
Around 2,5 million employees working across the German public sector will strike this week, as ver.di continues to negotiate pay rises on their behalf.
The announcement follows a regional public sector strike last week during which ver.di representative Christine Behle warned of a “significant expansion before the federal election [on February 23]," unless negotiations were more fruitful.
“Employers are walling themselves in,” ver.di representative Frank Werneke has now said in the organisation's latest press release, “An agreement is not in sight."
“In the next three weeks, we will organise warning strikes and protest actions across the country. Otherwise, we won’t get employers out of their blockade mentality,” Civil Servants Association (dbb) representative Volker Geyer wrote in a press release.
Ver.di and the dbb are expected to release more details about the industrial action shortly. It is yet unclear how long strike action will last, but the next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in Brandenburg on March 14 and 15.
Though demands differ slightly for different sectors, generally the unions are pushing for a pay rise of 350 euros per month (8 percent) plus three additional days of holiday leave.
Until ver.di and public sector bosses reach an agreement, residents in Germany can expect intermittent disruption across multiple public services.
This includes but is not limited to, schools, Kitas, rubbish collection, swimming pools, public transport, airports, job centres, local water authorities, hospitals, emergency services, theatres and disability care workers.
If you are unsure which of your local services are affected, check the website of your local authority.
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