Union Verdi Urges Warning Strikes at North German University Hospitals on Friday
The labor union Verdi has advocated for warning strikes at the university hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on this coming Friday. Jochen Penke, the division head in Kiel, stated on Monday that routine work and appointments may be restricted, urging individuals with scheduled appointments to verify their status prior to visiting. On Friday, emergency cases will still be treated without interruption.
All tariff employees, trainees, interns, and students in Greifswald, Rostock, and at the two sites of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel and Lübeck have been called to participate.
Verdi is pressing for a 10.5% pay increase for public sector employees in the federal states, along with an additional €500 per month for all employees, €200 more for junior staff, and indefinite employment for trainees. However, the Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL), led by Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) of Hamburg, regards these demands as overly high and unaffordable.
The negotiations, involving approximately 1.1 million workers, will focus on salaries during the third round on Dec. 7. Around 1.4 million civil servants are also affected, who usually receive the results of these negotiations.
This strike action by Verdi could potentially affect the provision of routine healthcare services at affected universities due to wage disputes. If a settlement is not reached, essential medical care at these hospitals might still be affected.
Integrating Enrichment Data:
In the event of a strike, hospitals could experience:
- Staff shortages, leading to reduced services and prolonged wait times for patients.
- Disruptions to emergency services, potentially delaying treatment for critical patients and creating life-threatening situations.
- Operational disruptions, affecting routine check-ups, surgeries, and non-emergency procedure cancellations.
- Negative public perception, increasing stress and anxiety among patients and their families.
- Improved working conditions, wages, and benefits for healthcare workers, if the strike is successful, which may enhance the overall quality of care.
These possible impacts would vary depending on the specifics of the strike.
