Coordinated attacks on individual clinics in Baden-Württemberg
University Hospital Tübingen staff, including numerous young employees, plan to strike on June 3rd, following a call from trade union ver.di for action seeking enhanced wages, reduced workload, and improved training.
Ver.di reports that the employer side has not tabled an offer during negotiations. Consequently, ver.di has urged approximately 30,000 employees in Tübingen, Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Ulm to participate in a warning strike.
The union's main demands comprise increased compensation, lighter workloads, and authentic training opportunities. Notably, ver.di proposes the introduction of a "lifecycle account" granting each employee and trainee five annual free days. These days can be taken as paid time off, vacation, or saved for future use, such as a sabbatical or early retirement. Additionally, ver.di champions a make-up day after three understaffed shifts, acknowledging that employees are excessively burdened on understaffed days.
Aiming to enhance the appeal of the nursing profession, ver.di aspires to raise non-medical employee salaries by at least 500 euros per month and supplement trainee income by 250 euros. This would affect approximately 8,000 employees at the University Hospital Tübingen.
The Association of University Hospital Employers in Tübingen expressed surprise at the strike announcement. They maintain that measures have been established in the last collective agreement in 2018 to alleviate nursing staff stress, which have since been implemented. The number of nursing staff at Baden-Württemberg university hospitals has swelled, claiming nearly a thousand additional full-time positions in nursing across four hospitals. However, the employers' association claims a deteriorated economic situation for university hospitals in Baden-Württemberg, reporting a total loss of around 85 million euros in 2022, primarily offset by state government subsidies. Additional wage agreements may be financially constrained due to these losses and expected losses for 2023.
Emergency cases will be treated during the strike, but planned operations may be postponed. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for June 4th following the strike day on June 3rd, which will see a rally at 11:30 AM in Tübingen.
In the broader context, strikes in the healthcare sector frequently revolve around wage increases, workload management, free days, and enhanced nursing staff recruitment. However, for specific details regarding the current demands and developments in the ver.di strike at University Hospital Tübingen, it is recommended to consult local news sources or official ver.di communications for comprehensive and accurate information.
- The striking staff at University Hospital Tübingen, including those from various scientific fields, are advocating for better workplace-wellness, such as increased compensation, lighter workloads, and authentic training opportunities, including a "lifecycle account" for five annual free days.
- Ver.di's proposals for University Hospital Tübingen extend beyond healthcare, calling for a raise in non-medical employee salaries by at least 500 euros per month and supplementing trainee income by 250 euros, as part of their efforts to boost mental-health and overall health-and-wellness for employees.
- The finance sector is also affected by these demands, as ver.di's actions may strain the industry's resources, with the Association of University Hospital Employers in Tübingen reporting a total loss of around 85 million euros in 2022, primarily offset by state government subsidies.
- The ver.di strike in the Tübingen healthcare industry is part of a larger trend, where employees across various sectors advocate for improved working conditions, including energy recovery measures such as a make-up day after three understaffed shifts.
