To secure inflation-busting raises for their members, German labor unions called a 24-hour strike on Monday. As a result, trains, planes, and public transportation systems were stopped across the country, causing delays on the roads. Commuters chose to drive instead.
Unions are seeking a pay increase of at least 10.5% and have dismissed offers from employers of 5% in two stages. The first stage would give employees a 5% pay raise, followed by a one-time payment worth an additional 2.5%.
Union leaders argue that their members are significantly worse off, in real terms than when the present system of national bargaining was introduced more than a decade ago. They say wages have not kept up with inflation and point to declines in overtime pay and redundancies as evidence that workers have suffered serious cuts in living standards since then. The unions further claim that many of their members are still earning below a minimum wage set by the Government and face increasingly difficult financial burdens for necessities such as food, transport, housing, and childcare, which the current pay levels alone can’t meet. There is concern over wages and anxiety over job security, given all the recent changes – Brexit amongst them – in the working landscape. Unions are calling on employers to better safeguard jobs against precariousness associated with casual or zero-hours contracts or subcontracting work out abroad with lower rates of pay.
Ulrich Silberbach of the Civil Service Federation said that high inflation had hit many workers hard, and some had to apply for state benefits to afford rent. Many workers are seeing their real wages decrease because of inflation, which is also seen in other parts of the world. The civil service federation is asking for necessary measures to balance the losses.
He noted that the workers’ demands were not unreasonable, and he hoped the employers would accept to avoid a strike that might hurt both sides. He argued that work stoppages are always disruptive for employment but also of great expense for employers. To this end, Silberbach proposed the establishment of a commission “to examine each area’s working conditions from objective criteria.” The commission could serve as a judge between labor and management; it could evaluate demands rationally instead of seeking stark divisions in bargaining positions. This step forward, he said, is essential to achieving long-term stability in working terms.
Deutsche Bahn warned that the union’s demands would affect millions of commuters, saying that the environment and climate would also suffer in the end. Strikes can have a significant impact on Germany’s vital transport system.
The labor agreement negotiated between employers and union representatives involves strict rules regarding salaries and working conditions; these are often subject to long negotiations before agreements can be reached. As a result of prolonged stalemates and resulting strikes, transportation services suffer severe delays or shutdowns – commuters miss their trains, and frictions between workers’ rights organizations and corporations continue regularly unresolved without further action. The government has stepped in on prior occasions when the two sides couldn’t agree upon a settlement; however, it is ultimately up to union leadership to negotiate with members while abiding by collective agreement terms that guarantee their rights within the workplace environment. Labor strikes represent an important mechanism for citizens’ right to defend against potential abuses—and should remind employers and employees of its importance within Germany’s democratic landscape.