Contract Reached in Labor Dispute Involving Charité-Affiliated CFM Subsidiary
Revised Article:
Let's dive into the latest development in Berlin, where Charité Facility Management (CFM) and Verdi have finally put pen to paper in their pay dispute saga. The union members now hold the power, as they prepare to cast their votes in an upcoming ballot—expect the results by July 4 at the latest.
The agreement in question promises a phased wage adjustment for CFM employees, matching the current public service wage agreement at Charité. The first change will kick off retroactively from June 1, 2025, with the full alignment set to be achieved by January 1, 2030. On the side, Verdi members will score an extra day of special leave each half-year until 2029.
Approximately 3,500 folks are employed at CFM across fields such as medical technology, patient transport, grounds maintenance, cleaning, and security. Workers have been on strike for 48 days, sheer determination in their eyes and higher pay on their minds.
Verdi: A "Giant Leap" Towards Equal Pay
Mehmet Yilmaz of Verdi's wage committee proclaimed, "If the Verdi members approve this result, reaching the TVöD pay scale will be a giant leap towards our goal of equal pay for CFM employees vis-à-vis those at Charité."
To clarify, while this agreement mainly focuses on wages, it does not guarantee employment parity with other Charité working conditions, as initially demanded by the union. Yilmaz described this as a rather painful compromise.
Juliane Kaufmann, CFM's managing director, was elated about the resolution reached after intense wage negotiations. "We're overjoyed to have reached an agreement. This is fantastic news for CFM employees, as it signifies a considerable improvement in pay for lower-wage groups while maintaining attractive remuneration for skilled workers," Kaufmann announced.
Berlin's governing mayor, Kai Wegner, applauded the better pay as a significant stride forward. "I'm thrilled that, after years of discourse in Berlin, a solution has finally been found—and that hard work is now appropriately rewarded," Wegner concluded, a CDU politician with a smile on his face.
- This agreement, while focusing primarily on wages, is a significant step in Verdi's pursuit of equal pay for Charité Facility Management (CFM) employees, according to Mehmet Yilmaz, a member of Verdi's wage committee.
- The agreement reached between CFM and Verdi promises a phased wage adjustment for CFM employees, aligning with the public service wage agreement at Charité, impacting approximately 3,500 workers across various industries such as medical technology, patient transport, and cleaning.
- The outcome of the vote by Verdi members will determine whether CFM workers will reach the TVöD pay scale, a substantial leap towards parity with Charité employees in terms of pay, as proclaimed by Yilmaz.
- The resolution of the pay dispute between CFM and Verdi, which followed intense negotiations, was heralded as fantastic news by CFM's managing director, Juliane Kaufmann, who emphasized the improvement in pay for lower-wage groups while maintaining attractive remuneration for skilled workers in the broader context of the Berlin's business, finance, and banking-and-insurance sector, as well as policy-and-legislation and general-news landscape.
