A Verdi flag flies in front of the Charité ward block during the warning strike. (Archive)
© dpa
Patients at some hospitals should be prepared for restrictions on Thursday and Friday: There will be strikes at the Charité and Vivantes clinics as part of the public sector wage dispute between the federal and local governments. And garbage cans might also remain full on Thursday: Employees of the waste collection services, recycling centers and the southern transfer station have also been called out on a warning strike on this day.
Non-medical staff at the clinics have been called out on warning strike. Charité has prepared itself for major restrictions. Planned, non-urgent interventions have been postponed, said a spokesperson. "Time-critical tumor operations, transplants, operations on children, the care of patients after strokes, heart attacks and other emergencies as well as all life-sustaining measures will of course be carried out."
At the same time, employees of the Charité subsidiary CFM are also going on strike, according to the Verdi trade union. They are demanding payment in accordance with the same collective agreement as Charité employees, the TVöD. Around 3,500 people work at CFM in the kitchen, cleaning and operating technology departments. There should be no restrictions at the Vivantes clinics if possible, according to a press spokesperson.
The employees of the Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) also want to strike again on Thursday. BSR announced that residual waste, organic waste and recycling garbage cans would not be emptied until the next regular collection date. Bulky waste collections were canceled and alternative dates should be arranged with the affected households. Self-deliveries of waste should also be postponed until the following week.
The BSR also warned against depositing waste or bulky items in front of closed recycling centers. This is an administrative offense and can be punished with heavy fines.