German Cities and Municipalities Association reacts with astonishment to the demands of the Verdi union and the civil servants’ union.
They are demanding an 8 percent increase in income for public service employees – at least 350 euros per month. In addition to these demands, there are also three additional free days and an extra free day for union members.
“This won’t fit ‘in light of the extremely precarious financial situation of the municipalities'”, said a spokesman for the German Cities and Municipalities Association to the Bild (Monday edition). “The catastrophic financial situation is largely due to the rising social expenses, but also the rising personnel expenses play a significant role.”
Tübingen’s mayor, Boris Palmer, said to the Bild: “This leads to staff cuts in the municipalities. I see no other way.” Instead, he said, “we must cut, shorten, and close the municipal offerings.” He reacted with incomprehension to the demand for additional vacation days: “We are already world champions in vacation days. We must work more and not less. That’s not of this world.”
For “moderation”, Götz Ulrich, president of the County Association of Saxony-Anhalt, speaks out. “In the end, further rising personnel costs at the counties, cities, and municipalities mean higher fees for the citizen for administrative services – for example, for a personnel pass, for car registration, or for waste disposal”, Ulrich said.