Schleswig-Holstein strike: Verdi union escalates labor dispute in the public sector - Warning strike affects schools and daycare centers

Negotiations on Wednesday without results - Further warning strikes possible in the coming days

Kiel. The trade union Verdi has announced a warning strike in Schleswig-Holstein's public sector for Wednesday. The call to strike applies to all employees in the federal and municipal public service, as well as to employees in daycare centers and schools. This means that there will be significant restrictions in these areas on Wednesday.

The union is demanding a 10.5 percent salary increase for the approximately 2.5 million employees in the public sector. The employers have so far offered 5 percent more salary in two stages and a one-time payment of 2,500 euros. The negotiations on Wednesday did not produce any results. Verdi announced that further warning strikes were possible in the coming days. The strike is to be extended to other federal states. Among other things, airports in several cities are to be affected.

The employers criticized the warning strike as disproportionate. "A warning strike that hits citizens particularly hard is the wrong way," said Ulrich Silberbach, President of the Association of Municipal Employers' Associations (VKA). The VKA accuses Verdi of deliberately escalating the conflict. "The trade union Verdi is obviously not interested in a compromise, but is deliberately provoking a conflict," said Silberbach. "This is irresponsible and does not serve the interests of the employees."

The union, on the other hand, accuses the employers of being unwilling to negotiate. "The employers have not made any acceptable offer," said Verdi boss Frank Werneke. "They are not willing to negotiate seriously about the concerns of the employees." Verdi emphasizes that the demand for a 10.5 percent salary increase is justified due to the high inflation.

The warning strike is likely to cause significant disruption in Schleswig-Holstein. Many schools and daycare centers will remain closed. In addition, there could be delays and cancellations in public transport. The union calls on citizens to understand the strike. "We know that this warning strike will cause inconvenience for many people," said Werneke. "But we hope that the citizens will understand that we are fighting for fair wages and working conditions."