Warning strike in Cottbus: Nurses are calling for higher wages on July 3!

Warning strike in Cottbus: Nurses are calling for higher wages on July 3!

In the health landscape of Cottbus, something exciting is bought. The Verdi union has for the 3. July 2025 announced a full-day warning strike at the Medical University of Lausitz-Carl Thiem (Mul-CT). The approximately 2,350 non -medical employees and 570 trainees stand behind their protest for better working conditions and a fairer remuneration.

background are stuck collective bargaining negotiations on 21. May 2025 started. A first offer of employers on 16. June 2025 , according to Verdi, is significantly behind the requirements. The nursing staff sometimes earn up to 4,230 euros less than their colleagues who are employed under the collective agreement for the public service (TVöD). Verdi calls for an alignment with this collective agreement and wants to enforce the same conditions as in other clinics, such as the University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel or the Charité in Berlin. According to the negotiator Ralf Franke, this is particularly important because an experienced caregiver would earn over 4,000 euros less in two years than according to the TVöD.

emergency service agreement as a safety network

Despite the warning strike, patients do not have to worry: an emergency service agreement is offered that ensures that emergencies continue to be treated. However, planned interventions that are not acute will be postponed on the strike day. Verdi appeals to the Brandenburg Science Minister Manja Schüle (SPD) and calls for support via an online petition.

The MUC-CT was created in July 2024 from the Carl Thiem Clinic and is on the start to develop into a full-fledged university medicine. This conversion is funded with impressive 3.7 billion euros , with over half of this amount being borne by the federal government. In this way, the first medical students should be able to start in the winter semester 2026/27.

where is the journey going?

With the strike on July 3 and the tense situation in the negotiations, it becomes clear that the MUL-CT employees are at a turning point. The next round of talks has not yet been scheduled, and the demands for an alignment with working conditions in other clinics are clearly the focus of the union. If there is no agreement, the situation in Cottbus' health care will probably be in the public eye for longer.

Developments related to collective bargaining and the announced warning strike clearly show that the healthcare workers stand up for their rights and adequate remuneration. LR Online and DGB reports from these developments, while Spiegel The broader perspective of the topic grabs.