Ongoing negotiations in Germany are pointing to major job concessions for public employees, the International Herald Tribune reported Tuesday.
In talks that began Monday in Potsdam, just outside Berlin, federal and local governments are demanding not only a wage freeze but also the ability to extend working hours and curb overtime benefits. In what would be the biggest overhaul of state work rules in more than 40 years, the talks conclude two years of discussions aimed at revamping 3,000 pages of regulations on public sector work.
The negotiations will set working conditions and wages for 2.1 million public sector employees at the federal and municipal level, including garbage collectors, airport employees, workers at public utilities, office staff and bus drivers.
The moves reflect what has already begun in the private sector. Last year, General Motors laid off 10,000 workers at its German subsidiaries, while Volkswagen froze wages for its employees in exchange for keeping a set number of jobs in Germany. Other major companies, like Siemens and Deutsche Bank, also axed jobs or won agreements to work longer hours at the same pay.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
