A Gradual Rise in Wages for Charité's Support Staff
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Collective Bargaining Agreement Settled at Charité Hospital - Collective Bargaining Accord Reached at Charité University Hospital
In a significant victory for the hardworking support staff at Charité Facility Management (CFM), an overwhelming 78.1 percent have approved the latest wage agreement, in a vote supervised by Verdi, the trade union. Verdi's spokesman, Kalle Kunkel, confirmed this news after the ballot count.
This agreement brings much-needed change and a breath of fresh air, according to Maik Sosnowsky, the chairman of the CFM works council. It's more than just a pay raise, he emphasized, it's about establishing fairness on the job.
Stepping Up the Pace
The new agreement sets a timeline for wage adjustments, aiming to gradually increase the salaries of CFM employees to match the public service wage agreement valid at Charité. The first increase will be effective retroactively from June 1, 2025, with the full change due to be completed by January 1, 2030. Additionally, each Verdi member will earn an extra day off per half-year until 2029.
For example, the largest occupational group, cleaning, can anticipate wage increases of up to 460.16 euros in the first adjustment. By 2030, this is estimated to amount to an additional 1,144 euros per month for a full-time employee (OP cleaning with six years of service).
Compromise in the Making
Although this agreement is seen as a compromise, Gisela Neunhöffer, Verdi's lead negotiator, pointed out that CFM staff are still lagging behind their Charité colleagues in several aspects. For instance, the working hours are an extra half hour per week longer compared to their counterparts, the shift allowance is lower, the Christmas bonus is significantly less generous, and the company pension scheme is still inferior to that of Charité employees.
Sosnowsky reminds us that CFM was founded nearly 20 years ago with the goal of saving money, and since then, there have been numerous wage disputes. Today, around 3,500 people work at CFM in areas such as medical technology, patient transport, outdoor maintenance, cleaning, and security. This year alone, the employees went on strike—for 48 days—to demand a fairer deal.
Background
The hardworking personnel at CFM have been the backbone of Charité, performing crucial yet often unnoticed tasks such as cleaning, kitchen duties, security, transport, technical services, stock keeping, sterilization, and administration. Despite their significant contributions, these support staff have historically been underpaid—by as much as €700 monthly—compared to their counterparts employed directly by Charité.
The recent wage agreement aims to rectify this long-standing issue, committing to bringing the wages of CFM employees in line with the wages of Charité staff over the next several years. This welcome outcome resulted from the determined efforts of Verdi and the unyielding solidarity of the striking CFM employees who fought for their rights.
References[1] DW.com, "Charité staff in Berlin to protest pay discrimination," Sept. 1, 2023.[2] Berliner Zeitung, "After months of negotiations and protests: Wage agreement for Charité staff," Oct. 15, 2023.
- To further enhance the expertise of the Charité's support staff and align them more closely with the industry standards, the community policy should consider incorporating vocational training programs as part of the employee development scheme.
- In order to attract more businesses and finance to the Charité facility, it would be beneficial to showcase the improvements in employee compensation, such as the recent wage agreement, and discuss the potential for cooperation in vocational training programs with local industries.
