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Strike in the DRK Hospital Chemnitz: Nursing staff demand more pay!
Verdi is calling for a warning strike at the DRK Hospital Chemnitz-Rabenstein on October 14, 2025 in order to push forward stalled negotiations.
Strike in the DRK Hospital Chemnitz: Nursing staff demand more pay!
On October 14, 2025, the DRK Hospital Chemnitz-Rabenstein will be the stage of a significant warning strike. The Verdi union has called on all employees to stop work from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The reason? The employers rejected a compromise proposal without any counteroffer. The strikers therefore want to put pressure on the negotiations.[ View ] reports that the clinic management assures that patient care will be guaranteed during the strike.
Verdi strike leader Robin Rottloff expects around 80 employees to take part. But it's not just the hospital's employees who will take part; Educators from daycare centers in Zwickau and rescue stations from the Erzgebirge and the Chemnitz area have also pledged their support.[ MDR ] This suggests that it is not just about individual interests, but that a common concern is being represented here.
The demands of the strikers
The union has formulated clear demands, which were put forward as a compromise proposal. This includes a gradual wage increase of a total of 8 percent over the next 24 months, as well as a reduction in weekly working hours from 40 to 38.5 hours in two steps.[ View ] In addition, higher surcharges and more vacation are required.[ MDR ] The salary level in the DRK Saxony is currently around 10 percent below that of other welfare associations in the region, which once again illustrates the urgency of the efforts.
Strikes like the one taking place in the hospital today are the most severe form of industrial action. In this case, employees stop work, which, one might say, sends a clear signal of dissatisfaction. Organizing a strike is often a challenge that requires well-functioning strike leadership and support from strike workers.[ Planet knowledge ]
A look at the history of labor disputes
The strike is not new historically. As early as 1159 BC. There was one of the first known strikes in Egypt in 400 BC, when 40 workers stopped work because of lack of pay. In the German-speaking world, the first strikes, particularly in mining and crafts, caused a stir in the late Middle Ages.[ Planet knowledge ] The unrest among weavers in Silesia in 1844 also shows that labor disputes often arise out of desperation and necessity.
You can see that strikes are not just protests, but often necessary steps to initiate changes in the world of work. Today's events at the DRK Hospital Chemnitz-Rabenstein could be important not only for the employees there, but also for many other employees in the region. The pressure that is now arising could potentially be decisive for an agreement in the deadlocked negotiations and thus bring movement to an issue that is burning for many employees.