People take part in a rally organized by the GEW and Verdi trade unions. (Archive photo)
© dpa
Due to a two-day warning strike in the public sector, there may be restrictions in Berlin daycare centers and schools, as well as in government offices and universities, on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to the GEW union, classes or after-school care at schools may be canceled on Wednesday. The GEW says that complete school closures are unlikely. Many teachers are civil servants and are therefore not allowed to strike.
Only municipal daycare centers are affected—but unlike schools, they will be closed for two days. The City daycare center operator announced that one of its 58 facilities will be completely closed on the first day of the warning strike and two on the second day. Restrictions are expected at 14 and 13 other facilities, respectively. "However, we are trying to meet all parents' needs," said managing director Claudia Freistühler. During the most recent warning strike on December 18, some parents networked more closely and helped each other to look after their children.
According to the Verdi union, employees at universities, the State Immigration Office, and the State Office for Citizens and Regulatory Affairs are also called to strike on Wednesday. This affects members of the police and fire departments, provided they are not civil servants. Emergency service agreements ensure that the work of these authorities is not restricted, especially in emergencies. A demonstration from Friedrichstraße station to the Rotes Rathaus is planned for that day.
On Thursday, unions are calling on employees from the Senate administrations, district offices, and forestry operations to join daycare workers in a warning strike. This could lead to restrictions in places like citizen service centers. How big the problems end up being depends on how many people join the strike. In addition to Verdi and GEW, the police union (GdP) and IG Bau have also called for days of protest. Their aim is to exert pressure in the collective bargaining round for the public sector in the federal states, which has been ongoing since the beginning of December. The second round of negotiations between the Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL) and the unions is scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Potsdam.