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Stepping up the Wage Dispute: GEW Urges Bremen Teachers to Strike
The Education and Science Union (GEW) in Bremen has set the stage for a warning strike, urging all its members to join in the public sector wage dispute. The union made this announcement following a staff meeting held on Wednesday. This action, scheduled for 2 p.m., is under the banner of "Professionals Need More!" as GEW publicized on Monday. The union has planned an all-day strike for Thursday, aiming to reinforce its demands in the ongoing wage negotiations.
Teachers and public sector employees in the federal states are demanding a 10.5% hike in income and a minimum monthly increase of 500 euros. However, the Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL) expressed reservations during the second round of negotiations, considering these demands excessive. The GEW argues that if salaries fail to escalate, schools will remain an unattractive work environment. As former GEW state spokesperson Barbara Schüll pointed out, vacancies in schools have remained unfilled for extended periods.
The high demands from unions for a significant wage increment and enhanced monthly salary in public sectors of federal states have triggered reservations from some tariffs, including the TdL. Potentially, unaffordable wage hikes could result in more frequent strikes, affecting the education systems of federal states.
Enrichment Insight: Across Europe, educators like their counterparts in Bremen are also striving for improved salaries and working conditions. In Serbia, teachers are planning a mass strike on February 13 and 14, while their Hungarian counterparts took to the streets to voice their demands. Similarly, Belgian teachers protested against educational reforms that involved pay cuts and job losses.
While there are no specifics on current wage negotiations for teachers in German federal states, broader labor disputes are prevalent in Germany. Postal workers at DHL-owned Deutsche Post staged a 24-hour warning strike for a 7% pay increase and more paid leave, while bus drivers in cities like Stuttgart are currently on strike, seeking a 9% payrise.
In light of this situation, Bremen's GEW call for wage increases is not an isolated incident but part of a broader global trend among educators seeking better pay, improved working conditions, and greater job security.
