GERMANY: Public sector union extends strikes to protest against longer working hours

Record ID: 341546

  • Title: GERMANY: Public sector union extends strikes to protest against longer working hours
  • Date: 13th February 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (German) BERNWARD BUTT, STRIKING VERDI MEMBER SAYING: "These politicians are only humans themselves. But we need to make it clear to them where we come from and what we work. Ministers sometimes come from different areas. We have to feed our families and pay for the education of our children. I have to tell you: they should learn to look behind the scenes. The
  • Embargoed: 28th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Employment
  • Reuters ID: LVA7IR7T1ZRZY61CV0U4OADAO6WB
  • Story Text: Thousands of German hospital staff, refuse collectors and other state employees stopped work on Monday as Germany's largest public sector strike for 14 years spread across most of the country.
    Eight states, all but one in western Germany, joined action in Baden-Wuerttemberg that began last week in protest at plans to increase the working week in most areas from 38.5 to 40 hours without a pay increase.
    Verdi, Germany's largest union, said it expected 40,000 workers to take part in the industrial action over the course of the week after 94 percent of balloted workers voted to strike.
    Monday's action was focused at university hospitals, with nurses, carers and general staff taking part, and among road maintenance workers, such as those salting roads to combat ice and snow.
    Television footage showed pickets outside several hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia and refuse piling up on streets in Stuttgart, capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the southern state where workers launched strikes a week ago.
    In Bavaria, which wants to push the working week to 42 hours, workers suspended snow clearance and salt distribution on highways, except in two badly affected regions.
    Public theatres, day care centres and a few schools were also affected. Union members also planned larger demonstrations in some city centres.
    Public transport, however, was running normally.
    Local governments argued they were only asking their staff to work an extra 18 minutes per day. Bsirsk said local council plans to extend the working week threatened 250,000 jobs.
    Of the eastern states, only certain workers in Saxony took part. Public employees in what was formerly communist East Germany already work 40 hours per week.
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