German cleaners strike
UNI Global Union is supporting German cleaning union IG BAU whose members are campaigning for an increase in pay, including minimum wages and training allowances of 8.7 %. After a series of protests and short strikes, the first nationwide indefinite strike of German cleaners started on Tuesday 20 October 2009.
German cleaners’ wages are in the bottom third of the minimum wages paid in the Federal Republic of Germany. Even workers who are cleaning full-time are on the poverty threshold which, for single parents with children is €1143. Approximately 860,000 employees work in the cleaning industry in Germany and they ensure that everyone has a clean place at work! So, we demand a fair salary and a minimum wage of €10 per hour along with a phased adjustment of wages East to West.
Market-leading cleaning companies can afford this. Many have reported huge sales increases in the last three years. In 2008, cleaning companies recorded the highest sales and profit results in its history. Their sales performance in the first quarter of 2009 confirms this trend. The IG BAU demands
· Wages. A wage increase of 8.7%. The employers have so far only offered a raise equivalent to just 1.8 %.
· Equal pay. Workers demand, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the principle of equal pay for equal work.
· Pensions. They are also seeking a collective agreement that includes an occupational retirement provision. Workers should earn enough money to live on, as well as to be able to save for old age. But because the income of part-time workers is far too low, they face poverty in old age. Therefore, the companies must provide a pension for all workers.
Every worker should have guaranteed days off, training and much more, which is usually governed by a collective agreement and not by the will of their bosses. We want to make a new start and modernise the industry with long-term agreements that treat our members with respect and dignity.
More information can be found on the Internet at www.igbau.de Http//8komma7prozent.blogspot.com or www.sauberkeithatihrenpreis.de
Please send your message of support to; Streikleitung@igbau.de