Wage Dispute between Charité Facility Management (CFM) and Verdi Stalls, Union Calls for Change
Stalemate persists in talks between Charité subsidiary CFM and trade union Verdi - Discussion ongoing between Charité subsidiary CFM and trade union Verdi concerning labor issues and potential strikes within the organization.
There's a heated wage dispute between CFM, a subsidiary of Charité, and the union Verdi. The negotiations, aimed at improving pay for CFM employees, have hit a roadblock. CFM abruptly canceled the scheduled talks for Thursday, accusing Verdi of lacking genuine interest in a resolution. Verdi, on the other hand, labels this as a "negotiation refusal" by CFM.
Verdi's lead negotiator, Gisela Neunhöffer, expressed frustration to dpa, saying her colleagues are "extremely angry". Discussions with CFM about on-call services highlight the significance of employees' work, yet there's no indication if CFM plans to present a fair offer in negotiations.
Verdi is currently on a mandatory strike, extending it until Friday. There were opportunities for negotiations without a strike in February and March, but CFM did not present an offer. Neunhöffer considers the 18% increase over three years recently proposed by CFM as "not acceptable". A step-by-step model is needed, she says, ultimately reaching the collective agreement for public service (TVöD). "The injustice must end."
Verdi remains open for negotiations on Thursday, with a spontaneous demonstration scheduled in front of the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon.
CFM maintains that "solution-oriented negotiations" are not possible at the moment. They're ready for further talks as soon as a respectful negotiating framework appears feasible. CFM canceled the appointment due to Verdi's cancellation of offered negotiation dates for early May and the continuation of the strike extension. A constructive dialogue, according to CFM management, is currently impossible.
Around 3,500 people work at CFM in various roles such as medical technology, patient transport, external maintenance, cleaning, and security. Verdi demands TVöD pay for 3,200 of these employees, based on the collective agreement at Charité.
Key Players:
- CFM
- Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (Verdi)
- Charité
- Strike
- Collective Bargaining Conflict
- Berlin
- Wage Dispute
Insights:
Financial challenges may be contributing to the labor-related issues at CFM, as suggested by reports of a multi-million euro damage potentially related to CFM operations. Employee representation and pay are governed by legal principles, which might impact negotiations or disputes regarding employee compensation at CFM. The resolution of the wage dispute would likely depend on ongoing talks aimed at addressing employee wage demands balanced against CFM's financial constraints.
- A solution for the wage dispute between CFM and Verdi might involve a focus on vocational training programs for employees, as it could help improve the efficiency and productivity of staff within various industries such as healthcare, maintenance, and security - fields where CFM has significant presence.
- To address the financial implications of the wage dispute, both CFM and Verdi could consider exploring potential partnerships or grants from European Community (EC) countries, business entities, or financial institutions to fund vocational training initiatives and better manage the financial aspects of the collective bargaining conflict.
