Strike at the Equal Pay Day: Hessen stands still - daycare centers and clinics are affected!
Strike at the Equal Pay Day: Hessen stands still - daycare centers and clinics are affected!
On Friday, March 7, 2025, the Verdi union calls for further strikes in the public service in Hesse. Kitas and social institutions are particularly affected. Already on Thursday, the employees of municipal hospitals and care facilities will be called for work. These measures are part of a greater protest that is directed against the inadequate working conditions and the demands of the union, which flow together in a nationwide day of strike.
The strikes are noticeable in many cities in Hesse, including in Frankfurt, Offenbach, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden and in East and North Hesse. In Frankfurt, daycare centers, youth and social welfare offices will be affected, while in Darmstadt and South Hesse employees of the municipal social and educational service are on strike. Wiesbaden also called for daycare centers and collective bargaining social workers to put their work down. In East Hesse, the daycare centers and social institutions of the counties are affected and in northern Hesse various clinics and life aids have to expect restrictions.an important strike day
The strike day consciously falls on the Equal Pay Day and International Women's Day. This temporal determination should draw attention to inequality in the wages and underline the need for more wage justice. Christine Behle, deputy Verdi chairman, made it clear that employees in social professions that are over 80 percent women suffer from enormous stress. Many are under pressure to work both and to bear family responsibility, which also makes the situation more difficult.
Verdi calls for a tariff increase of 8 percent and a minor increase of 350 euros per month. In addition, surcharges for stressful layers such as alternating layers, night work as well as Sunday and holiday services are to be increased. To improve the training conditions, an increase in training allowances by 200 euros and the creation of a "my-time account" is required. For employees in nursing, social work and daycare centers, these improvements are of great importance, especially in view of the significant gender play gaps, which was 16 percent in 2024
challenges in the public service
The working conditions in the public service are catastrophic, so that according to Verdi, many employees cannot stay in their professions until retirement. The loads from unoccupied areas are alarming: In nursing, 79.1 percent of employees are overloaded by unoccupied areas, while in social work this is 63.9 percent and 78.3 percent in daycare centers. The results of a Verdi working time survey also show that difficult working conditions and unattractive working hours are the main reasons for vacant positions.
The next round of negotiations between Verdi and the employers is planned for March 14 to 16, 2025 in Potsdam. Despite the clear claims, the employer has rejected the wishes of the employees as "unavailable". This means that it remains to be seen whether the upcoming strikes and the mobilization of the employees can cause changes in the current situation. While the union calls for a strong sign of the protest, the question arises as to how sustainable these measures will be for the employees concerned.
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