Strike in Görlitz: Employees fight for higher wages and better contracts!

Strike in Görlitz: Employees fight for higher wages and better contracts!

In Görlitz and the surrounding area, the topic is not only hot, but also urgent: employees in various industries and institutions are vigorously campaigning for better wages and fair collective agreements. An all-day warning strike began yesterday, Monday, initiated by the Verdi union, which particularly focused on the employees of ASB Pflege- und Sozialdienste gGmbH.

The strikers have clear demands: They want an in-house collective agreement to improve working conditions for all employees at the facility. Negotiations over this in-house tariff have been dragging on for months with no solution in sight. Verdi blames the management for the blockade, as there is no apparent willingness to talk about the required contract. Union secretary Theresa Menzel also criticized that the recent improvements made for nursing staff are not enough to satisfy the entire workforce, which is leading to discontent and internal tensions, according to MDR.

Protests from different areas

But ASB employees are not the only ones taking to the streets. The teachers at the district music school in Görlitz also showed solidarity and staged a musical protest in front of the district council. Here Verdi is calling for pay to be brought into line with the public service collective agreement (TVöD). The approach of drawing up their own collective agreement would be a step in the right direction for music school teachers. A solution has been sought since 2016, but the draft contract drawn up in 2020 has so far remained unused.

District Administrator Stephan Meyer expressed understanding for the protests, but also pointed out the district's limited financial options. It remains to be seen how the responsible authorities will react to the demands.

The automotive industry is also affected

Another focus is on the employees of Hedin Automotive, who are continuing their warning strikes. The eight car dealerships in East Saxony, including the car dealership on Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße in Görlitz, are the focus of the unfortunately necessary actions because the employees are demanding a collective agreement. The trade union tailor is also measurable here, because recognized collective wages simply do not exist for the employees. According to IG Metall, around 260 employees have “largely” joined the union to defend themselves against inadequate wages, while management only wants to negotiate company regulations.

Overall, the current strikes highlight not only the challenges facing unions, but also the need to create fair and consistent working conditions. The research project “Opportunities and Challenges for Trade Unions” will examine these questions in detail in order to draw up recommendations for action for the future WSI.