Currently there is a wave of strikes in different parts of the FRG. The main reason for this is the demand for higher wages. The high inflation, which eats up our wages and ensures that many of us can no longer afford to eat at the end of the month, makes the fight for higher wages a necessity for many workers.

First there are large strikes in the metal and electrical industry. The union IG Metall demands a wage increase of 8 percent for all employees. Since 29.10, therefore, warning strikes have been held at various plants throughout Germany. More than 200,000 workers have stopped work in the first week of the warning strikes. During the collective bargaining negotiations, the employers only offered a so-called "inflation compensation bonus" of 3,000 euros for 30 months. As a countercondition for this bonus, however, they also demanded the possibility of simply reducing or eliminating collectively agreed special payments such as vacation or Christmas bonuses.
In some collective bargaining areas, the capitalists are even demanding an extension of working hours.
Many workers are outraged by these offers from the exploiters and are resolutely taking part in the strikes.

In Baden Württemberg, there were warning strikes lasting several days between October 24 and 28 at the university hospitals in Tübingen, Ulm, Heidelberg and Freiburg, in which thousands of care workers took part. In the current collective bargaining negotiations, the trade union Verdi is demanding 10.5 percent more money - but at least 375 euros more per month - for medical-technical assistants and nursing and administrative staff at the university hospitals, among others. This is in contrast to the offer made by the employers' association of Baden-Württemberg's university hospitals, which only provided for a tax-free one-time payment of 2,100 euros and a six percent increase in salaries in two stages starting in January 2024. For the employees, this would mean having to bear the full devaluation of their incomes through inflation in 2022 and 2023 if this offer were accepted.

The university hospitals responded to the strike by the care staff by slightly improving their offer. They are now offering one-off payments of 4,200 euros. However, there would not be a table increase until July 1, 2024 by 150 euros / trainees 75 euros plus an additional two percent for employees and trainees, with a term until July 31, 2024.
However, even this improved offer would not end the financial burden of inflation on the colleagues and so it was correctly rejected by the nursing staff and again called for warning strikes before the next round of negotiations on December 1.

Also in the southwest, an indefinite strike has just been called at Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs-GmbH (SWEG) and its subsidiary SWEG Bahn Stuttgart GmbH (SBS) by the German Locomotive Drivers' Union (GDL). The reason for this is that the GDL wants to negotiate a collective agreement in the future not only for SBS but for the entire SWEG Group.

So we can see that there are now economic struggles going on in different areas. This shows us that more and more workers are angry and understand that they have to fight for their interests. We have never been given anything, all the achievements of the labor movement have had to be fought for. Therefore, it is logical that all the economic struggles now mentioned continue resolutely and not simply be stalled by a bad compromise.