Collective bargaining dispute at the Elbe-Elster Clinic: No agreement in sight!

Collective bargaining dispute at the Elbe-Elster Clinic: No agreement in sight!

Collective bargaining for around 680 non-medical employees and 60 trainees at Elbe-Elster Klinikum GmbH is in jeopardy. How dgb.de reported, there was no offer from the employer when negotiations began on August 21, 2025. The next hearing is planned for September 3, 2025 at 10 a.m. in Finsterwalde.

Discussions about a new pay scale, which is intended to regulate the assignment of employees to the corresponding pay groups, were resumed after an interruption in December 2024. Ralf Franke, ver.di's negotiator, gets to the heart of the matter: "The existing regulation is outdated and urgently needs to be revised." However, it remains unclear whether the employers are prepared to meet ver.di's demand to adopt the pay scale from the collective agreement for the public service (TVöD).

Demands on the table

The ver.di union has been calling for the TVöD pay scale to be adopted since 2018 and has formulated clear demands. From July 1, 2025, employees should receive 8 percent more pay per month, but at least 350 euros. There is also a demand for a reduction in weekly working hours from 39 to 38.5 hours with full wage compensation.

• Anhebung der Zulagen für Schicht- und Wechselschichtarbeit auf das Niveau des TVöD
• Erhöhung der Jahressonderzahlung auf TVöD-Niveau
• Mehr Zusatzurlaub für Wechselschichtarbeit und ab 2027 ein weiterer Urlaubstag analog zum TVöD

Improvements are also planned for trainees: an increase in training pay by 150 euros and an additional day of vacation from 2027 are on the wish list. The existing collective agreements have already been terminated by ver.di on June 30, 2025, which puts additional pressure on the situation.

The Elbe-Elster Klinikum has repeatedly negotiated with ver.di in the past. In the fourth round of negotiations on March 26, 2024, a collective agreement was reached that provided for an increase in collective wages from April and November 2024. This collective agreement ran until June 30, 2025 and brought some improvements for employees, including inflation compensation and a reduction in working hours from 40 to 39.5 hours.

But the current status is sobering. On August 21st, there was no agreement on the new pay scale because there are different opinions on individual job groups. It is now all the more important that the negotiations on September 3rd lead to a constructive dialogue. The urgency of a result is recognized by all sides, but how it will ultimately turn out remains to be seen.

The negotiations could not only be important for the affected employees and trainees, but also influence the future of the entire clinic location. Elbe-Elster Klinikum GmbH, which is supported by the Elbe-Elster district and has had an in-house collective agreement with ver.di since 2008, is in a critical phase here.

It remains to be hoped that, in the interests of the employees and the future of the clinic, an agreement will be reached as soon as possible that satisfies everyone involved. Further information and developments can be expected as the deadline for greater clarity approaches.