Tag Archives: Unions

When German public servants call in “sick”

August 12, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

They don’t mess around.

“Wenn schon denn schon.” If you’re going to do it, do it right.

Off sick for up to ten years: What lies behind Germany’s teacher shortage – At the start of the new school year, many German schools face an acute staffing crisis, with teachers missing in several subjects and lengthy sick leave further tightening an already tense situation.

Germany’s schools are facing a structural staffing crisis. More teachers have been hired and the federal states are trying to counter this by creating additional posts, recruiting lateral entrants and offering financial incentives.

German of the day: Ladenöffnungen an Sonntagen

July 7, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means store hours on Sunday.

There are none in Germany, in case you didn’t know. Germans are very religious. Hardy, har, har.

But wait! Suddenly. In the year 2026…

Debate Over Expanding Sunday Store Hours – Following libraries and bakeries, the retail sector now also wants to fight for the right to open stores on Sundays. It has received support from the Bundestag’s Economic Committee. Churches and labor unions view the initiative critically.

Following the government’s announcement that it would extend Sunday opening hours for bakeries and pastry shops, the discussion about general store opening hours on weekends is now gaining momentum: The Bundestag’s Economic Committee has called for a significant relaxation of the current ban on Sunday openings…

“Major reforms needed!”

May 28, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Home Cooking Tags: , , , Leave a comment

“But don’t even think of trying an itty-bitty reform with us!”

Healthcare staff protest plan for major cuts – Medical staff in Germany are protesting about cost-saving plans that ministers says are necessary to stop spiraling costs.

German service union Verdi is organizing protests against a round of cuts announced by the German government. The plan is aimed at reducing the burden on health insurance providers that could mean higher contributions.

“Down with Elon Musk and Tesla!”

May 13, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

German union leaders cry.

“He keeps investing in Giga Berlin and creating more jobs!”

Tesla invests $250M more in Giga Berlin battery cells, boosting capacity to 18 GWh – Tesla announced today that it will invest almost $250 million more in battery cell production at its Grünheide factory outside Berlin, more than doubling planned capacity to 18 gigawatt hours per year and creating over 1,500 battery-related jobs…

In late February, Musk sent a pre-recorded video to Grünheide’s roughly 11,000 workers warning that expansion would not happen if IG Metall gained a majority in the upcoming works council election. He said that “things will certainly get more difficult if there are external organizations pushing Tesla in the wrong direction,” adding: “We will not close the factory, but realistically we will also not expand.”

The message was clear: vote for the union, lose the investment.

IG Metall’s vote share subsequently collapsed from 39.4% in 2024 to 31.1% in the March election. Tesla’s management-aligned list, Giga United, took 24 of 37 seats. IG Metall has since filed a legal challenge alleging unlawful interference in the election.

Tesla to leave Germany

March 5, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Soon.

Union tries to seize control of works council at Tesla’s German factory – Lawsuits and slander claims fly in IG Metall’s battle with Elon Musk over employment rights and conditions.

Europe’s largest trade union is trying to gain control of the works council at Elon Musk’s Tesla gigafactory near Berlin, in an industrial relations showdown marked by lawsuits and mutual accusations of slander.

The works council, an elected body of employees that negotiates everything from working hours to pay deals with a company’s management, is considered an entrenched aspect of the German corporate world, particularly in the car industry.

But it was a bone of contention at the Tesla plant in Grünheide, about 20 miles (30km) south-east of Berlin, even before the gates opened almost four years ago.

48-hour planned chaos!

February 24, 2026 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

But then it’s right back to the regular 24/7 unplanned chaos.

So chill already.

Germans Face Travel Chaos As Transport Workers To Strike – Public transport workers across Germany will stage a 48-hour strike from Friday as talks over pay and conditions stall, a union said, potentially sparking travel chaos for millions.

The Verdi union, negotiating on behalf of about 100,000 workers, said Tuesday it had decided to ramp up pressure on local authorities after making little progress in annual negotiations.

Berliners won’t even notice

February 2, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Public transport is always at a standstill here.

Tens of Thousands of Transport Workers Walk off Job in Germany – Commuters across Germany faced ‌freezing ​temperatures and empty platforms on ‌Monday as tens of thousands of public transport workers ​walked off the job in a strike called by trade union Verdi, shutting down ‍bus and tram services in ​most cities.

Verdi, which represents nearly 100,000 transport workers, called the strike after ​talks with ⁠municipal and state employers over working conditions stalled last week.

We must destroy the economy in order to save the economy

December 10, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , Leave a comment

It’s the economic science, stupid.

German union boss urges Berlin to scrap borrowing cap to safeguard economy – IG Metall chair Christiane Benner addresses thousands of VW workers striking over planned closure of several plants.

The head of Germany’s most powerful trade union has called on Berlin to drop its cap on new borrowing to safeguard the future of Europe’s largest economy.

IG Metall chair Christiane Benner said the country should follow the example of the US and China, which are heavily supporting their domestic industries, meaning the borrowing limit had to “stop — immediately, not after the elections”.

German of the day: Bahnstreik

January 10, 2024 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means railway strike.

Pro tip: When you’re the guy giving the order to strike, make sure you catch the last train back to your headquarters in Berlin before the strike begins.

More German of the day: Dumm gelaufen. That means shit happens.

Train drivers’ strike – GDL boss Weselsky misses last train to Berlin.

Claus Weselsky has a problem: due to the train drivers’ strike, the head of the train drivers’ union (GDL) said he missed the last train to Berlin on Tuesday evening.

Courts in Frankfurt rejected the injunction issued by Deutsche Bahn against the strike action on Tuesday evening but after that, things went less well for the union leader, as the hearing lasted longer than initially expected.