Public service: Faeser in front of the third tariff round: “I’m good hope”

Before the beginning of the third tariff round, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is optimistic about a possible agreement. “I am hopeful that we will find a fair result for all sides in the third round of negotiations,” said Faeser in Potsdam. She assumes that “we can finish until Sunday evening”.

The unions are calling for a previously eliminated offer of employers. “This is urgently needed, it is overdue and that has to come now,” said the negotiator of the DBB civil servant association and tariff union, Volker Geyer. “We need a house number somewhere.” The fact that the “lack of personnel existing for years” has been held on the back of the employees is a failure of the employer.

A fair result for all sides also includes “that you approach the employee side with an offer”. “It is the third round of negotiations, there will be an offer at some point,” said the SPD politician. The mutual respect requires a fair balance between employee and employer.

WELGE: No unreasonable employment relationships

According to the negotiator of the association of the municipal employers’ associations (VKA), Karin Welge, the public should not give the impression that there is “unreasonable employment relationships” in the public service. There are currently many areas of responsibility to cope with – “beyond the simple formula, one or three or four percent more do more attractive employment,” said Welge.

The negotiations are about income and working hours of more than 2.5 million employees who, for example, work in administration, daycare centers, local transport, in waste companies, sewage works, baths or care facilities. Verdi and the Dbb civil servant are negotiating for the employees. They call for a tariff increase of eight percent, but at least 350 euros more per month. They also want to enforce at least three additional days off.