The union says the shortage of skilled workers in educational institutions is enormous. And it will only get worse if politicians don’t take countermeasures.
In the collective bargaining dispute in the public sector of the states, almost 20,000 employees of educational institutions across Germany resigned from their jobs on Tuesday. The Education and Science Union (GEW) announced this at lunchtime. According to GEW, around 7,000 employees from schools, daycare centers and universities as well as social workers in youth, health and social welfare offices took part in the warning strike in Leipzig alone. In Berlin there were 6,000 strikers and thousands in other cities also stopped their work. The warning strike was supported with protests and rallies in Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and Karlsruhe.
“If employers don’t wake up now and pay their colleagues in the public sector decently and fairly, then the shortage of skilled workers will continue to worsen,” said GEW board member Doreen Siebernik in Leipzig. The work of employees of educational institutions is indispensable. “At the same time, they are suffering from the enormous shortage of skilled workers. Inflation has not left them unscathed either,” said GEW chairwoman Maike Finnern.
According to the Bertelsmann Foundation’s “State Monitoring for Early Childhood Education Systems”, the shortage of skilled workers is particularly noticeable in daycare centers. Accordingly, despite the legal right to a childcare place, there is a lack of around 430,000 daycare places nationwide.
The unions are demanding 10.5 percent more salaries for the around 1.1 million public sector employees nationwide, but at least 500 euros more per month. In addition, the unions want there to be a collective agreement for all student employees. The tariff period should be twelve months. The Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL) did not submit an offer in the second round of negotiations at the beginning of November. The third round of negotiations will take place on December 7th and 8th in Potsdam.
Source: Stern
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