Leipzig (dpa/sn) - The warning strikes in the public sector are to be expanded in Saxony on Wednesday and could particularly affect families with children. The Verdi and GEW unions have called on employees in day-care centers and after-school care centers to stop working. For example, facilities in Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz as well as in the districts of Central Saxony and the Ore Mountains are affected.
There could also be restrictions in city administrations, employment agencies, district authorities and other areas of public life. However, the effects of the warning strike differ from region to region. While the Dresden public transport company expects all-day traffic cancellations in the city, the Leipzig public transport company did not announce a warning strike this time. Bus and train drivers from the Leipzig company last stopped work on Friday.
Rallies and demonstrations are planned in several cities in Saxony on Wednesday - also because of International Women's Day. According to a Verdi spokeswoman, most of the employees in the social and educational services as well as in the administration are female. They have to live with low wages, a high workload and a shortage of staff. "Employers must do their part to ensure fair payment," said the spokeswoman.
Verdi is demanding 10.5 percent more income for the approximately 2.5 million public sector employees nationwide, but at least 500 euros more per month. The strikers have so far rejected the employers' offers as insufficient.
Families affected by the warning strike can look forward to a special offer from Dresden Zoo on Wednesday. As an exception, children only pay one euro for admission, as the director of the zoo announced.
