Warning strike on March 12th: Public service in NRW is quiet!

Warning strike on March 12th: Public service in NRW is quiet!

On March 10, 2025, the Ver.di Mitteler Ruhr area district announces a full-day warning strike in the public service in all regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is scheduled to take place on March 12. This crucial mobilization follows immediately before the third and last round of negotiations in the public service tariff round, in which the union would like to put pressure on employers. The aim of the strike measures is to overcome the blockade of the employers, who have so far not made any satisfactory offers to content, additional free days and time sovereignty, such as HalloHerne.de reported.

Bernd Dreisbusch, district manager of ver.di, expresses his resentment about the lack of accommodation on the part of the employers, which has been observed since October 7, 2024. The spark of dissatisfaction was ignited when the second round of negotiations ended without tangible results. In this context, ver.di plans to expand the work of work in order to draw attention to the urgent concerns of the employees, so nrw.verdi.de .

rallies and affected areas

On March 12th, central rallies will take place in various cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. The main event takes place in Gelsenkirchen, where the strikers meet at the music theater in the area at 9 a.m., followed by a demonstration train and a rally on the Heinrich König-Platz. In other cities, rallies and demo trains are also planned, including:

• Dortmund: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friedensplatz (approx. 5,000 participants)
• Duisburg: from 10 a.m., König-Heinrich-Platz (approx. 3,000 participants)
• Essen: 9:00 a.m., Hirschlandplatz, Sternmarsch
• Mülheim: 9:30 a.m., Rathausmarkt
• Oberhausen: Demozug from 8:30 a.m., rally at 9:30 a.m.
• Düsseldorf: 10 a.m. Demo, 11 a.m. rally (approx. 4,000 participants)
• Cologne: 10 a.m. Demo trains, rally from 11 a.m. (approx. 5,000 participants)
• Heinsberg: rally from 11 a.m., demo train beforehand
• Münster: 8:30 a.m., Schlossplatz, demo train at 10:15 a.m.
• Hagen: 9:30 a.m., Friedrich-Ebert-Platz (approx. 1,500 participants)
• Siegen: 10:15 a.m., Siegerlandhalle (approx. 350 participants)
• Bielefeld: rally from 11:00 a.m. (approx. 2,000 participants)

These warning strikes affect a large number of public areas, including local government administrations, daycare centers, clinics, job centers, municipal utilities and local transport. Employers are asked to finally submit significant offers in order to advance the negotiations and take into account the concerns of the employees.

Current situation and demands

The collective bargaining for public service 2025 are in a critical phase. Around 2.3 million employees are affected by the upcoming decisions. The existing collective agreement expires on December 31, 2024, which exerts additional pressure on the negotiations. In addition to the salary increase, the unions also require an increase in the training allowances and the introduction of a "my-time account" in order to offer employees more flexibility. However, the financial framework data is tense, as reported Oeffenter-dienst-news.de . The municipalities are increasingly indebted, while a significant lack of personnel is found in the public service.

The upcoming strike measures are an immediate expression of dissatisfaction and are intended to persuade employers to finally lead serious negotiations. Citizens are asked for understanding, especially since the municipal employers' association North Rhine-Westphalia e.V. is mentioned as a contact point for complaints.