Verdi, the service‑sector union, has called for a nationwide sector strike in the health sector on Tuesday. The union said the strike follows the employers’ failure to present a meaningful offer in the state‑wide wage negotiations. Employees from 22 university hospitals across Germany are expected to join the warning strike, and the walkout will likely continue at most sites into Wednesday. A warning strike is already planned for psychiatric centres in Baden‑Württemberg as of Monday.
Verdi board member Sylvia Bühler warned that the affected clinics will experience “significant restrictions” but that emergency care will still be maintained. She said staff at university hospitals feel resentful, as they believe they are put at a disadvantage compared to colleagues in municipal hospitals, and that attractive working conditions are essential to recruit and retain qualified personnel. Bühler added that residents in university hospitals and psychiatric units show a strong willingness to fight for their interests, and that hospital staff are expected to demonstrate their readiness to strike in the coming days.
According to Verdi, the wage group for the public service of the states (TdL) did not submit a binding offer during the second round of negotiations on 15‑16 January. The union is demanding a 7 % salary increase, amounting to a minimum of €300 per month, and an additional €200 for new recruits who will be permanently hired after completing their training. The union also seeks a 20‑percentage‑point raise in night‑shift and adverse‑time premiums, and wants shift and rotating‑shift allowances to be brought up to the level of the federal public‑sector collective agreement (TVöD). The TdL has rejected all of these demands.
Bühler emphasised that employees in university hospitals feel unfairly treated and that improved working conditions are crucial. She noted that hospital staff in both university and psychiatric settings are ready to stand up for their own concerns, and that the union expects the workforce to demonstrate its willingness to strike in the coming days.