Overview

• The Verdi union has called for a nationwide strike across over 200 hospitals, care homes, and emergency services to pressure employers in an ongoing public sector pay dispute.
• Strikes in Germany are targeting sectors with high female employment, coinciding with Equal Pay Day and International Women’s Day to highlight wage disparities.
• In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), approximately 640,000 public sector employees are affected, with disruptions expected in hospitals, childcare centers, and social services.
• Verdi is demanding an 8% wage increase or a minimum of €350 per month, citing the need to improve working conditions and address staffing shortages in healthcare.
• Employers have criticized the strikes, arguing that they primarily harm citizens and emphasizing financial constraints and economic challenges faced by municipalities.