Nationwide Health Sector Strikes Escalate Amid Public Sector Pay Dispute

Verdi organizes widespread walkouts in hospitals, care homes, and social services to demand better wages and working conditions for public sector employees.

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.