Berlin (dpa/bb) – The Berlin Senate still sees no possibility for a collective agreement to reduce the size of school classes, as demanded by the GEW trade union. After a joint discussion with union representatives, both Finance Senator Stefan Evers and Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (both CDU) pointed out on Wednesday that Berlin belongs to the collective agreement of the federal states (TdL) and cannot go it alone.
“The GEW demand for a health protection collective agreement that regulates class size would mean Berlin’s way out of the collective bargaining community of the federal states,” said the two politicians in a statement. “The conversation was a good start, a regular exchange is the goal to improve the situation in the schools,” says Evers. “Nevertheless, membership in the collective bargaining community of the federal states leaves no room for independent collective bargaining.”
As a teacher, she knows the heavy workload of teachers, educators and school psychologists, explained Günther-Wünsch. “However, the demand for smaller classes – as sought by the GEW – cannot be realized at the moment because of the nationwide shortage of teachers.”
The GEW has been calling for two years to regulate the ratio of students to teachers at general and vocational schools in a binding “collective agreement on health protection”. Since then, she has organized several warning strikes by employed teachers. The GEW is planning the next three-day event for the first time from June 6th to 8th.
There are around 34,000 teachers in Berlin. Many of them are employees and – unlike civil servants – are allowed to go on strike. Several thousand teachers have taken part in the previous warning strikes – some lessons have been cancelled.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230531-99-894349/3
2023-06-01 04:06:05
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