Emmanuel Thomas I DPA, Sunday, April 23, 2023
POTSDAM – German unions and employers in the public sector met on Saturday for another attempt at resolving a pay dispute that has led to multiple strikes in recent weeks.
Before the start of this fourth round of negotiations in Potsdam, outside the capital Berlin, the head of the civil servants’ association dbb, Ulrich Silberbach, was non-committal when it came to a potential deal to end the strikes.
“The recommendation by the mediators is a basis for further negotiations. But it is far from being the solution. In any case, we still need to talk,” Silberbach told dpa.
“The individual points and proposals will have to be discussed.”
He said it was positive that the recommendation had been accepted by a clear majority on the employers’ side.
“One can definitely see a sign of hope in that. So we expect constructive and agreement-oriented talks in Potsdam today,” said Silberbach. “Otherwise the negotiations will end here and we will be faced with a ballot and industrial action.”
The arbitration recommendation, published a week ago, initially provides for tax-special payments of €3,000 ($3,330) in several stages. From March 2024, there would then be a basic amount of €200, followed by a wage increase of 5.5%, with a minimum raise of €340.
If no breakthrough is achieved in Potsdam, a ballot with the unions could follow. If both sides manage to agree, however, new strikes would be off the table. In recent months, the unions have paralysed public transport, day-care centres, hospitals and refuse collection with strikes across the country.
