Press
It is a tempting proposal for everyone who is annoyed by rail and airline strikes: The FDP in the Bundestag wants to restrict the right to strike. But there is criticism.
Berlin – The FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag wants to restrict the right to strike in sectors of the so-called critical infrastructure. The parliamentary group has adopted a position paper that calls for fundamental changes in the right to strike.
The rules are intended to apply to employees in the so-called critical infrastructure, such as rail, air traffic, care, daycare centers and fire services. According to the Liberals, the legal requirements demanded are based on the experience with the strikes of the train drivers’ union GDL.
FDP wants to restrict right to strike – Liberals demand new rules for strikes
The FDP position paper with several demands to restrict the right to strike is available to the German Press Agency Previously, the Southgerman newspaper reported on it. The FDP faction wants to push through the following points:
- In future, strikes must be announced at least three days in advance.
- There should be an obligation to operate at an emergency rate of at least 50 percent.
- Warning strikes should last a maximum of four hours.
- An attempt at mediation should be mandatory as soon as one of the parties – employers or trade unions – so requests.
FDP wants to restrict the right to strike – New rules for critical infrastructure
The FDP envisages that these new rules apply to sectors of critical infrastructure. These are particularly vulnerable to “disproportionate strikes”. The regulations are intended to ensure that important services remain available even during a strike. In addition to rail and air traffic, critical infrastructure also includes the health and care sector, daycare centers, fire departments and garbage collection.
The need to restrict the right to strike is derived from the experience with the Train drivers strike The FDP said that the situation had been worse at the beginning of the year when trains were cancelled and delayed for months: “The effects of the wage dispute between the train drivers’ union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn as well as the strike in other areas of critical infrastructure on uninvolved third parties and society as a whole require a rethink,” the position paper states.
The right to strike is anchored in the Basic Law – FDP wants to minimise consequences for the population
The right to strike as a means of industrial action is anchored in the Basic Law, the paper continues. However, there are no legal rules on how such industrial action should be conducted. “The aim must be to protect the right to strike and at the same time minimize the impact on the population,” demands the FDP. Therefore, the legislative scope should be used.
FDP MP Pascal Kober stressed that the right to strike is a valuable asset that deserves protection within the framework of collective bargaining autonomy. “But proportionality must be ensured, especially when critical infrastructure is affected.”
His parliamentary colleague Reinhard Houben added: “The escalating strikes at the railways in particular have shown that we need a framework for industrial action in the area of critical infrastructure.” Of course, the collective bargaining parties would have to find their own regulations. “If that doesn’t happen, then the law should provide guard rails.”
Criticism from trade unions – “Effectively circumventing the right to strike for public service employees”
The two coalition partners of the traffic light coalition, the SPD and the Greens, reject the FDP proposal according to SZ The right to strike cannot be preserved and restricted at the same time, according to the motto: “Only strike in such a way that no one notices the strike,” SPD MP Bernd Rützel told the newspaper.
The unions even announced major resistance. “This is effectively the abolition of the right to strike for the entire public sector,” Verdi boss Frank Werneke is quoted as saying. Announcing a strike several days in advance weakens the unions enormously. And: “Four-hour warning strikes mean that companies on strike sit out half an ass cheek,” said the Verdi boss. (dpa/smu)
#FDP #restrict #strike #unions #arms