Which German public services are impacted by strikes this week?

Public sector workers are on strike across Germany this week. Which services are affected, why are employees striking and when are the strikes likely to end?

Public sector strikes continue in Germany

Public sector employees are taking part in another wave of warning strikes across Germany this week. As a result, residents should expect disruptions in administrative services, at Kitas, schools, universities, zoos, museums, in construction services, and more.

Over February 10 and 11, strikes will take place in every federal state apart from Hesse. On February 10, employees at hospitals in Aachen, Essen and Cologne and employees at schools, universities and government offices across North Rhine-Westphalia will strike.

In Baden-Württemberg, all public sector employees will take part in strike action, including those working in schools, colleges, student services, museums, government administrative services and at Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart.

In Bavaria, employees at six university hospitals, at universities and colleges will strike. Members of the German Police Union (GdP) working at the authority in charge of issuing fines will also strike. 150.000 public sector employees are expected to walk out in the southern state, with demonstrations planned in Erlangen and Munich.

In Thuringia, employees at Kitas, schools, universities and in student services will strike. In Lower Saxony and Bremen, employees working at university hospitals, for the port operator NPorts and the state road construction authority will down tools. Drivers should expect road closures on bridges and in tunnels.

In Hamburg, employees at district offices (Bezirksämter), the motor vehicle registration office, the police and the state judiciary services will strike. Around 3.000 people are expected to take part in a demonstration at the Elbufer.

On February 11, employees at Kitas, schools and Bezirksämter, firefighters, police officers and senate administrators will strike in Berlin. In Brandenburg, police officers and college employees will strike. Demonstrations are expected to disrupt public transport in Potsdam.

Why are German public sector workers striking?

Trade unions representing public sector workers, such as ver.di and GEW, have called on public sector workers to strike. These unions are negotiating collective bargaining agreements (Tarifverträge) on behalf of workers who are trade union members. 

Collective bargaining agreements are agreements made between unions and employers about employees’ working conditions and wages. Because economic circumstances change, these agreements have a limited validity period, usually a year or slightly more. 

Shortly before an existing agreement is due to expire, trade unions and employers return to the negotiating table. In this case, unions are demanding that employees receive a 7 percent pay rise or at least 300 euros more per month, while junior employees would receive an additional 200-euro pay rise.

Sometimes, these negotiations go smoothly, and sometimes they enter a gridlock, where employers may accuse unions of making unrealistic demands, and union representatives retort that employers are making insufficient offers.

At this point, a trade union may consider calling on workers to strike, to reassert the value of employees' labour and put pressure on employers to make a better offer at the coming negotiation round.

February 10 is the first day that employees in all public sector services are taking part in a coordinated strike, before negotiations are scheduled to continue in Potsdam on February 11. If an agreement is met, strikes will stop. If an agreement is not met, another, and likely longer, warning strike may well be announced in the coming weeks.