Thursday, September 26
Indefinite strike: 280 Berlin daycare centres to walk out from Monday
Negotiations have failed. Starting on Monday, employees of 280 state owned daycare centres will go on an indefinite strike, following the breakdown of negotiations between the Verdi trade union and the Berlin Senate on Wednesday.
Apparently, Verdi had offered to postpone the strike if the Senate would make a binding commitment to begin constructive negotiations. The official statement from the union read: “With its unconstructive attitude, the Senate is provoking the strike and is therefore responsible for the burden on parents and children.”
The core demands are simple. Employees of Berlin kitas want better working conditions, smaller childcare groups, and the right to collective bargaining. The senate reject this, citing difficulties in their budget.
This industrial action will affect around 28,000 children, or one fifth of all children in daycare in Berlin.
