Individual daycare centers run by independent providers are also affected
The service union Verdi has announced the next warning strikes in the public sector for International Women’s Day on Wednesday (March 8th, 2023). According to Verdi, 21 of the 23 city day-care centers in Freiburg are on strike. Public transport is also affected in other regions of Baden-Württemberg. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the focus is on “professions in social and educational services, in administration, in nursing and in clinics, which are still predominantly carried out by women,” according to a statement.
The union expects more than 6,000 workers to walk down and join the protests demanding better working conditions and higher pay. It could be the largest day of strikes in the state so far, they say.
Eight emergency groups, but only for children from the appropriate facility
Some independent daycare centers are also affected by the work stoppages, according to the Freiburg town hall. A total of eight emergency groups are kept open in the city daycare centers that are on strike. However, these may only be used by children of the respective institutions. If in doubt, parents are advised to find out in advance whether their own day care center will open. Verdi is also calling on workers in municipal administrations to take part in the strike. Several hundred administrative employees in Freiburg and the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district as well as the free and church sponsorship are expected to comply.
Verdi is calling for an increase in income of 10.5 percent for the approximately 2.5 million employees in the federal and municipal public services, but at least 500 euros per month for a period of twelve months. Apprenticeship pay and internship fees are to be increased by 200 euros per month. According to figures from the State Statistical Office, around 236,000 salaried employees work for the municipalities in Baden-Württemberg. About 67 percent of the employees are women, the part-time quota is around 44 percent.
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