Ludwigshafen

Ludwigshafen/Kaiserslautern (dpa/lrs) – Around 1,000 public sector employees took to the streets in Ludwigshafen on Wednesday to demand more pay. This was announced by the police after the warning strike event in the morning. In Kaiserslautern, too, employees laid down their work on Wednesday morning and gathered on the exhibition square. The Verdi union spoke of around 700 participants, but there was no information from the regulatory authorities.

Many areas of public service were affected by restrictions due to the warning strike in both cities on Wednesday. A Verdi spokesman said that some hospitals and energy suppliers were only operated with an emergency service. In Ludwigshafen, all daycare centers are also closed.

In the forthcoming collective bargaining round, Verdi is demanding 10.5 percent more salary for federal and local employees, but at least 500 euros more per month for a period of twelve months. That means a volume of claims of around 15 percent, said the managing director of the municipal employers’ association in Rhineland-Palatinate, Markus Sprenger, on Wednesday in Mainz. However, inflation is not that high and is now declining somewhat.

The effects of the state relief measures would also have to be taken into account in the forthcoming collective bargaining. “We want to contribute to mitigation, but do not see full compensation,” said Sprenger. Warning strikes are not helpful and are difficult, especially in hospitals and daycare centers. “Negotiations should not be overshadowed by warning strikes, the solution does not lie on the street.” The next round of collective bargaining is scheduled for February 22nd and 23rd in Potsdam.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:230215-99-604268/2