Germany nearly paralyzed this Monday

The two most powerful unions in Germany, ver. Know what transport and railways, EVG have agreed to co-ordinate a warning strike Monday that will extend throughout Germany. Buses and trains will stay in place, planes will not be built in nearly all German airports. Air traffic in Frankfurt, Munich is suspended. Many other airports, such as Hamburg, Leipzig, Halle, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Kölni, Dortmund are on strike Monday. Only the Berlin airport will be in operation, but even there will feel the consequences of the strike.

On Sunday to minimize the negative effects on the supply of the population was allowed in many banks to ease the regulation to prevent the flow of the trucks on highways. German Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing said that the regulation for banning manoes on highways Sunday was cleared. He appealed to all participants to be responsible to reduce the consequences of the strike as much as possible.

Critical of Union Strike

The criticism against the unions that have called this general strike comes from the municipality's negotiating representative, Karim Welge. The VKA president said that the strike's “right is being used in excess”, and recalled that in the third round of negotiations a result would have to be achieved. She says that “is a little angry” that unions scale the situation, stressing that “this is not the negotiating tone that we use”. She accused trade unions of pretending that a compromise could not be reached at the negotiating table. I believe in our responsibility for the community and ask the unions to make this responsibility come true. ”

Even Deutsche Bahn, German Railways criticised trade unions, calling the strike “totally exaggerated and unnecessary” and called for the unions to return to the negotiating table.

High demand to minimise loss of purchasing power

Although public service strikes threaten to paralyse all of Germany, politicologist Wolfgang Schroeder of Cassel University points out, that this solidising strike, not typical of Germany, results from an unusual situation resulting from the consequences of pandemic and high inflation. During Corona's pandemic, members could not be mobilized and there were no clashes for public service payment fees. Trade unions, on the other hand, are confronted with tremendous inflation, so their members must make high demands to limit the loss of purchasing capacity. Public service union requests really. I know there are 10.5% more monthly salaries, and that is the traffic and Shina trade union, EVG for 12.5% more monthly pay to compensate for higher inflation, which last year reached around 10%.

The state is also on the negotiating table, according to the politician. In the federal government's joint action and partners, it was decided that it is possible to pay once a sum of 3000 euros without taxes in a tax-based labour relationship. This has benefited employees in the metal and chemical industry branch, says politicologist Schroeder in interview with the Epid press service. According to policyologist trade unions work hard as long as this can be understood. They hold limited timely strikes, and strikes have been warned in advance of preparations.

Fears that strike developments and heated situations in Germany may occur as in France have often been expressed in recent days. Stephen Kampeter, head of the Federal Association of German Employers, said that “a look from France teaches us where this leads you, if you get in the wrong direction”. But the politician, Wolfgang Schroeder, opposes that. The “here is about responsible unions calling for limited timely strike, possibly quickly, potentially effectively to achieve a tariff relationship. The strike does not pursue political goals, but requires reaching an agreement. Germany is a country where there are few strikes, and prelaunch strikes have played a role. There may be more often strikes, but on the other hand, the number of days without working is reduced. /dw