Psych healthcare workers in southwest Germany stage warning strike
Over 1200 healthcare professionals in various psychiatric facilities across the southwest, such as Zwiefalten, Calw, Weinsberg, Winnenden, Reichenau, Wiesloch, and Weissenau, participated in a full-day warning strike on Thursday. The strike, supported by the Verdi union, aimed to oppose any proposed pay cuts that could put psychiatric center employees at a disadvantage compared to their municipal hospital counterparts. Verdi argued that such pay cuts could negatively impact the care and wellbeing of mental health patients.
Initially, Verdi sought a significant salary increase of 10.5%, or at least €500, for public sector employees in Germany's federal states. The union also demanded a twelve-month minimum contract duration and the permanent employment of trainees, along with a €200 pay increase for trainees. Negotiations are set to resume in Potsdam on December 7/8.
The nationwide standoff over employees' pay is an extension of a broader dispute, as Verdi and the civil servants' association campaign for an 8% wage increase or a monthly raise of €350 to combat inflationary pressures and rising living costs. The ongoing strike affects non-medical staff at hospitals like Charité and Vivantes, affecting scheduling and potentially postponing non-urgent surgeries, while critical procedures continue uninterrupted.
Though not explicitly targeted, the mental health sector is not immune to potential pay cuts and changes in sick leave policies, as part of a broader push to modify social security systems. Proposed reductions to sick leave and increased patient contributions for medical treatment could have far-reaching consequences for workers' wellbeing, including those working in psychiatric centers. However, these specific proposals do not appear directly linked to the ongoing Verdi union strike.
[1] https://www.dpa.com/ [2] https://www.dw.com/en/nurses-strike-against-germany-s-health-system-nurses-strike/a-59441583 [3] https://www.reuters.com/world/Europe/german-nurses-strike-over-salaries-affects-surgeries-2021-11-27/ [4] https://www.politico.eu/article/berlin-courts-controversial-german-reforms-to-health-care/
