Bavarian doctors from the university hospitals demonstrating on Marienplatz for better working conditions in Munich on March 11, 2024.
Ärzte up in arms: 60,000 doctors poised to strike again in 2025 over pay clash.
Credit: Shutterstock, FooTToo
Pay dispute boils over – Could a full walkout cripple German hospitals by 2025?
No bedside manner from bosses? The Marburger Bund, Germany’s powerful doctors’ union, has prescribed drastic measures to cure a bitter pay dispute. With 60,000 medics from municipal hospitals in the crosshairs, a ‘mega strike’ could be on the cards after their demands for fair pay and better working conditions were shot down by employers.
After five failed negotiation rounds, the Marburger Bund declared the latest offer from the Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations (VKA) as “unacceptable.” The union is now calling for a vote among its members to decide whether to launch sweeping strikes in 2025.
The rejected offer included:
- A 5.5% pay rise
- An increase in night-shift pay from 15% to 20%
- A one-off payment of €500
But doctors say it’s too little, too late. The union is pushing for an 8.5% pay rise, overhauled shift-work rules, and improved compensation for being on call.
‘Empty promises’ and sleepless nights
In a scathing statement, the union blasted employers for failing to address critical issues in shift and on-call work despite earlier promises of reform.
The pay dispute affects 60,000 doctors in municipal hospitals across Germany – excluding certain clinics in Berlin and East Germany that operate under separate agreements. Negotiations began back in June 2024 but have made no headway, leaving medics furious and patients worried.
The union plans to announce the results of its strike ballot before Christmas, with many expecting doctors to trade scrubs for picket signs as early as January 2025.
Have doctors been left in the lurch?
Christmas cheer or crisis?
If the vote leads to a walkout, Germany’s healthcare system could face a crisis of epic proportions. Patients are already bracing for delays and cancellations, with fears that a full strike could cripple critical services.
Keep your stethoscopes at the ready – this row is far from over.
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