Trade union Verdi has announced warning strikes at university hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania this Friday. Jochen Penke, Verdi's division head in Kiel, stated that routine work and scheduled appointments may be affected. Patients with appointments on Friday are advised to check in advance to ensure treatments for emergencies can proceed as planned.
The call for strikes involves all tariff employees, trainees, interns, and students of university medicine in Greifswald, Rostock, and the two locations of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel and Lübeck.
Verdi demands a 10.5% salary increase for public sector employees in federal states, with a minimum of €500 more per month for employees. Junior staff would receive an additional €200, and trainees would be offered longer, indefinite contracts.
The Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder, led by chief negotiator Hamburg's Senator for Finance Andreas Dressel (SPD), considers Verdi's demands excessive and unaffordable. The third round of negotiations, set for December 7, will focus on the salaries of approximately 1.1 million employees, with potential implications for around 1.4 million civil servants.
The ongoing strikes by Verdi could potentially disrupt tariff-based health services in hospitals, leading to potential disruptions in routine procedures and scheduled appointments, which could necessitate patients with appointments at the university hospitals on Friday to seek clarification ahead of time.
Although there are ongoing strikes in various public sectors in Berlin, including hospitals, it's essential to note that no specific information about strikes at university hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been provided. The broader context suggests that public sector strikes can lead to disruptions in various services, potentially impacting patient care and routine procedures in affected areas.