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| German Child Care Workers’ Strike Brings Debate on Priorities | German Child Care Workers’ Strike Brings Debate on Priorities |
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| HAMBURG, Germany — At 8:05 a.m. at a day care center in northern Hamburg, Alexandra Kölling’s 4-year-old son clung to her leg, crying. A breakfast of bread, butter, cheese, ham and milk waited, but no teachers came to coax Mika gently away from his mother and over to his place at the low table. | |
| On that day, Ms. Kölling was the caregiver at the Wernigeroder Wegcenter. A full-time software developer, she was taking her turn with several other parents to try to preserve a semblance of the normalcy that had eluded her family and countless others across the country since May 8, when thousands of preschool teachers and assistants walked off the job. | |
| “I’ve had it up to here,” said Ms. Kölling, 37, impatience rising in her voice as she balanced her 15-month-old on her hip while trying to comfort her older son. “I haven’t been able to work properly a single day.” | “I’ve had it up to here,” said Ms. Kölling, 37, impatience rising in her voice as she balanced her 15-month-old on her hip while trying to comfort her older son. “I haven’t been able to work properly a single day.” |
| The strike by child-care workers is the latest in a series of work actions that is putting Germany on track to have the most days lost to labor action in nearly a decade. | |
| By economists’ calculations, already 350,000 work days have been lost in 2015 — a record that would seem more likely in France than in stable, wealthy Germany. The number of days missed because of walkouts is already more than twice the number for all of 2014, according to the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. | |
| Besides fraying nerves and disrupting lives, the strikes have focused attention on wage disparities and raised questions about priorities in a generally robust economy. Union leaders and others say wages of service and public workers have not kept pace in Germany — especially in contrast with the manufacturing sector, which has been its economic engine. | |
| Announcing the child care strike last month, Frank Bsirske, head of the Verdi service workers union that represents many of the teachers, cited a provider who had spent 29 years working with kindergartners and learned that her nephew’s starting salary in a chemical laboratory was on par with her own: about 2,800 euros, or $3,200, a month. | Announcing the child care strike last month, Frank Bsirske, head of the Verdi service workers union that represents many of the teachers, cited a provider who had spent 29 years working with kindergartners and learned that her nephew’s starting salary in a chemical laboratory was on par with her own: about 2,800 euros, or $3,200, a month. |
| “It cannot be the case that the learned interaction with machines is worth more than learned interaction with young children,” Mr. Bsirske said. | “It cannot be the case that the learned interaction with machines is worth more than learned interaction with young children,” Mr. Bsirske said. |
| Preschool teachers in the United States also complain of low pay. But in Germany, they are required to have at least three years of training and increasingly a college degree. | |
| By contrast, a full-time warehouse employee in the German metal industry, whose wages are negotiated by the powerful IG Metall union, enters the work force at a base monthly salary of €2,252 without any qualifying training. Verdi is looking for about a 10 percent wage increase for its members in public social services. | By contrast, a full-time warehouse employee in the German metal industry, whose wages are negotiated by the powerful IG Metall union, enters the work force at a base monthly salary of €2,252 without any qualifying training. Verdi is looking for about a 10 percent wage increase for its members in public social services. |
| “The dispute in the child care sector is very much about: What is the public, the municipalities who run these crèches, prepared to pay for the work, which is held in very high public esteem?” said Heiner Dribbusch, a senior researcher and specialist in industrial relations at the Institute of Economic and Social Research of the Hans Böckler Foundation. | “The dispute in the child care sector is very much about: What is the public, the municipalities who run these crèches, prepared to pay for the work, which is held in very high public esteem?” said Heiner Dribbusch, a senior researcher and specialist in industrial relations at the Institute of Economic and Social Research of the Hans Böckler Foundation. |
| Economists are quick to point out that Germany continues to have some of the lowest strike numbers among industrialized countries, far lower than the leaders, Denmark and France, according to figures gathered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. On average, the German work force lost only four work days per 1,000 people annually from 2005 to 2014, while Danes lost 135 days and the French 124 days in the same period, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research found. | Economists are quick to point out that Germany continues to have some of the lowest strike numbers among industrialized countries, far lower than the leaders, Denmark and France, according to figures gathered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. On average, the German work force lost only four work days per 1,000 people annually from 2005 to 2014, while Danes lost 135 days and the French 124 days in the same period, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research found. |
| But that may be because only about 20 percent of workers in Germany are members of labor unions, and most of those people are in the largest union confederation, the DGB, which mainly represents the better organized and more highly paid manufacturing workers. (France’s union membership is lower, but it has a strong history of government protections for workers.) | But that may be because only about 20 percent of workers in Germany are members of labor unions, and most of those people are in the largest union confederation, the DGB, which mainly represents the better organized and more highly paid manufacturing workers. (France’s union membership is lower, but it has a strong history of government protections for workers.) |
| Germany’s economy has expanded in recent years, supported by consistently high levels of employment. This year, the Economy Ministry raised its forecast for growth in 2015 to 1.5 percent from 1.3 percent. | Germany’s economy has expanded in recent years, supported by consistently high levels of employment. This year, the Economy Ministry raised its forecast for growth in 2015 to 1.5 percent from 1.3 percent. |
| The IG Metall union secured a 3.4 percent pay increase for its workers this year, and the country’s first minimum wage, €8.50, took effect in January. But wage growth in the service sector has not kept up. | |
| Last month, members of the union of locomotive engineers, known by its German initials G.D.L., walked off the job for 138 hours — the longest rail stoppage in Germany’s history and the ninth rail strike in 10 months — as they sought a 5 percent wage increase. Talks between union representatives and the main German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, began again last week and are expected to last until June 17. | Last month, members of the union of locomotive engineers, known by its German initials G.D.L., walked off the job for 138 hours — the longest rail stoppage in Germany’s history and the ninth rail strike in 10 months — as they sought a 5 percent wage increase. Talks between union representatives and the main German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, began again last week and are expected to last until June 17. |
| Pilots for Lufthansa and its subsidiaries have held 12 rounds of strikes since April 2014 that came to an abrupt halt after the crash of a Germanwings flight over southern France in late March. The two sides agreed in mid-May to return to negotiations, and the pilots said they would keep flying until at least the end of July. | Pilots for Lufthansa and its subsidiaries have held 12 rounds of strikes since April 2014 that came to an abrupt halt after the crash of a Germanwings flight over southern France in late March. The two sides agreed in mid-May to return to negotiations, and the pilots said they would keep flying until at least the end of July. |
| Postal workers are preparing to walk off their jobs indefinitely starting on Monday, in an effort to seek more pay and job security, while employees at Amazon’s main distribution center started a 48-hour strike early Friday, pressing the Internet giant to enter into a wage agreement. | Postal workers are preparing to walk off their jobs indefinitely starting on Monday, in an effort to seek more pay and job security, while employees at Amazon’s main distribution center started a 48-hour strike early Friday, pressing the Internet giant to enter into a wage agreement. |
| In the case of the child care workers, the dispute follows five years in which Germany increased its emphasis on early childhood education, investing €12 billion to expand public facilities with a goal to create a guaranteed place for every child younger than 3. The program was part of an effort to better integrate immigrant children and to help women remain in the work force after starting families. | In the case of the child care workers, the dispute follows five years in which Germany increased its emphasis on early childhood education, investing €12 billion to expand public facilities with a goal to create a guaranteed place for every child younger than 3. The program was part of an effort to better integrate immigrant children and to help women remain in the work force after starting families. |
| At the same time, caregivers were given more educational responsibilities, such as assessing children’s verbal skills and school readiness, which required extra hours of training. Verdi, which has two million members, argues that the government failed to adjust wages to reflect the heightened expectations. | At the same time, caregivers were given more educational responsibilities, such as assessing children’s verbal skills and school readiness, which required extra hours of training. Verdi, which has two million members, argues that the government failed to adjust wages to reflect the heightened expectations. |
| The V.K.A. employers’ association, which represents the municipalities that hire the child care workers, has rejected a general wage increase but offered to raise pay for some teachers based on their qualifications and responsibilities. | The V.K.A. employers’ association, which represents the municipalities that hire the child care workers, has rejected a general wage increase but offered to raise pay for some teachers based on their qualifications and responsibilities. |
| Economists play down the impact this year’s wave of labor disputes has had on the country, rejecting parallels to the labor unrest in the United States and Britain during the 1980s. | |
| “The right to strike is in the German Constitution,” Mr. Dribbusch, the Hans Böckler Foundation researcher, said. “The weapon of the strike is a legitimate weapon, although it is very rarely used.” | “The right to strike is in the German Constitution,” Mr. Dribbusch, the Hans Böckler Foundation researcher, said. “The weapon of the strike is a legitimate weapon, although it is very rarely used.” |
| But a day after the engineers agreed to return to their locomotives, Parliament passed a law that curbed the powers of smaller unions such as theirs by limiting wage negotiations to labor groups with the largest membership. Although the legislation is not expected to come into force until July, several unions have threatened to challenge it in the country’s constitutional court. | But a day after the engineers agreed to return to their locomotives, Parliament passed a law that curbed the powers of smaller unions such as theirs by limiting wage negotiations to labor groups with the largest membership. Although the legislation is not expected to come into force until July, several unions have threatened to challenge it in the country’s constitutional court. |
| For the parents struggling without day care, the end may be in sight. On Thursday, negotiators on both sides agreed to enter arbitration starting on Sunday. Teachers are expected to return to their jobs by Monday. | For the parents struggling without day care, the end may be in sight. On Thursday, negotiators on both sides agreed to enter arbitration starting on Sunday. Teachers are expected to return to their jobs by Monday. |
| In the Hamburg kindergarten where parents were organizing care, Yvonne Kappes, 39, said that she had a part-time job and a supportive boss, but that arranging care for her 6-year-old daughter had increasingly kept her awake at night. | In the Hamburg kindergarten where parents were organizing care, Yvonne Kappes, 39, said that she had a part-time job and a supportive boss, but that arranging care for her 6-year-old daughter had increasingly kept her awake at night. |
| “On a factual level, I fully support the strike. But emotionally. …” Ms. Kappes said, trailing off. | “On a factual level, I fully support the strike. But emotionally. …” Ms. Kappes said, trailing off. |