While the Post is again paying out more than 2 billion euros in dividends this year, the new colleagues at the Post are only getting a few cents more than the minimum wage stipulates. At the same time, the Post pays its ten Verdi supervisory board members a total of more than one million euros per year.
In 2022, their basic remuneration has increased by another 30,000 euros, not including attendance fees, which in some cases amount to around 20,000 euros per year. A third round of negotiations was declared a failure on 14 February. A ballot is now underway for renewed strike action. However, negotiations are continuing at the same time. The post office is threatening with outsourcing and in memory of the past strikes stifled by Verdi, as almost seven years ago, bad things are in the offing. Presumably, a confusing, extremely embellished "success" will be presented for both sides.
Some 2,500,000 colleagues are currently fighting for better pay and working conditions in the federal and local public services. Last week, strikes brought air traffic to a standstill at seven major airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs. This week, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports will be largely paralysed. There were strikes in Rottenburg and Pforzheim and Leipzig's transport services were struck again last Wednesday. Nothing moved on Leipzig's tram tracks.
The Rheinbahn public transport system is on strike this week in Düsseldorf, the Bergisches Städtedreieck and the Mettmann district, among others. In the district of Mettmann, not only buses and trains but also day-care centres are affected by the strike. In Mönchengladbach, colleagues from the city administration, the Niersverband and also the labour office, as well as the GEM, the local waste disposal company, and the theatres will go on strike. In Viersen, day-care centres and primary schools are on strike. In Krefeld, almost the entire public life is paralysed: Public transport, kindergartens, theatres, banks. In Duisburg, rubbish collection and DVG are on strike, day-care centres remain closed. The Sana hospital is also on strike. Strikes are planned for the beginning of March at the Charité in Berlin and the Vivantes clinics, as well as at the student union. A nationwide youth strike day is planned for 1 March.
The colleagues at the railway, about a quarter of a million railway workers, are about to go on strike. Driven by the GdL, the Railway and Transport Workers' Union (EVG) is also increasing the pressure: a twelve per cent increase in wages, at least 650 euros per month. However high such demands may seem at first, one must always be aware that these are struggles to compensate for inflation. It is not really about "increases" but about preventing deterioration.
The struggle of the workers of the cardan shaft factory (GKN) near Zwickau is also intensifying. All negotiations have remained inconclusive. In mid-January it was announced that the plant in the Zwickau suburb of Mosel was to be closed down. There have already been three short strikes, and now it's time for a full-scale strike. Politicians are also feeling the pressure; the Ministry of Economics and the East German Commissioner have already taken up positions.
