Employees: Movement at tariff discussions for public service

At the collective bargaining discussions for the public service, movement in Potsdam emerged on Sunday evening. The employee side made new suggestions that went in the right direction, it said from the districts of the federal government and municipalities. However, these were not sufficient. Union circles have been confirmed that there were new suggestions. These would now be advised.

Negotiations are being carried out on income and working hours of more than 2.5 million employees from daycare to waste disposal. The unions Verdi and DBB civil servants are demanding a tariff increase of eight percent, but at least 350 euros more a month, as well as at least three additional days a year.

The employers complain high costs

The Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Association of Local Employers VKA – the demands are too expensive for the employers of the federal government and municipalities. The core demands of the unions alone put it at 15 billion euros a year for the municipalities. Employers also come across the demand for more days off. They argue that they may have to restrict services – for example daycare opening times.

What the new proposals consist of was initially not explained. The negotiators also did not want to forecast whether and when an agreement would be possible. The negotiations would run into the night, it said.

Already three days in the third round

The discussions in Potsdam, which started on Friday, are already the third round of negotiations. She was actually announced until Sunday evening. If no result is achieved, a toilet would be possible. In this case, there could be warning strikes in the public service again – most recently, tens of thousands of employees in daycare centers, at airports or at the garbage disposal had temporarily laid down work. It would also be conceivable that a side explains a failure of the negotiations. Then there would be arbitration and for the time being no further warning strikes.