Warning strike in the Dahme-Spreewald Clinic: Employees demand more money!

Warning strike in the Dahme-Spreewald Clinic: Employees demand more money!

Things are currently very busy in the Dahme-Spreewald region: around 650 non-medical employees and 145 trainees at the Dahme-Spreewald Clinic stopped work on July 17, 2025 to fight for better working conditions. The one-day warning strike called for by the Verdi union took place in both Lübben and Königs Wusterhausen and was organized to express dissatisfaction with stalled collective bargaining. The employees demanded an increase in their wages and allowances, although the work stoppages were already characterized by intensive negotiations in advance. As rbb24.de reports, a one-hour warning strike was organized at the two locations on Thursday and Friday at 11:30 a.m.

This measure follows four rounds of negotiations since the end of April, the last of which ended inconclusively on June 27. The employer side, represented by the Sana-Kliniken Niederlausitz, had only promised a total wage increase of seven percent, while Verdi is demanding eight percent. There are also demands for an allowance of 120 euros for stepping in on days off, but the clinic only subsidizes it with 30 euros. The circumstances for the employees are tense, after all, the clinic made a profit of 4.04 million euros in 2023, although it is clear that the required adjustments to the public service collective bargaining regulations are currently not in sight. According to lr-online.de, the employer offer is even below the existing regulations, which is fueling additional discontent.

The pressure is growing

These warning strikes are part of a larger trend in which Verdi is putting pressure on healthcare employers nationwide to fight for fairer conditions. tagesschau.de also emphasizes that similar actions have taken place in many other facilities to point out the need for better working conditions. While the employers consider the high demands to be too costly, the employees do not rule out the possibility of further protests if no agreement is reached. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for June 29, 2025 - but hopes for a breakthrough are dim.

The Dahme-Spreewald district, which is the majority owner of the clinic with 51%, has also imposed a budget freeze, which does not exactly help to ease the situation. The planned savings could also put further strain on the clinic's financial situation. The employees of the clinic, which operates both the Spreewald Clinic in Lübben and the hospital in Königs Wusterhausen, want clarity and stability in their working conditions

The warning strike, which will continue shortly on July 18th in Königs Wusterhausen, is not only an urgent appeal to employers, but also a sign of the solidarity and determination of the employees who are standing up for their concerns and a fair salary. The coming days will be crucial to see whether the sides find a table or whether the pressure on both sides will be increased further.