German hospital staff go on strike over pay dispute

BERLIN

Employees at Berlin’s major hospitals stopped work on Monday to increase pressure on the government in an ongoing dispute over wages.

Around 1,000 employees of Charite, Vivantes and the Jewish Hospital are taking part in the strike, the Ver.di trade union said in a statement.

The strike action will continue on Tuesday, it also said.

The hospitals canceled some of the scheduled appointments and operations, but emergency care were still provided.

Public employees at Berlin’s water supply and waste management companies also joined the strike action.

Waste collection and recycling services in certain neighborhoods will be disrupted until Wednesday, according to Berlin’s public cleansing service BSR.

The ver.di trade union began a series of walkouts after the second round of collective bargaining negotiations with the government and local authorities ended without agreement last month.

The union, which represents around 2.5 million public sector workers, is demanding a 10.5% and no less than €500 ($530) pay rise amid soaring inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.

A new round of negotiations is planned for the end of this month.