07/01/2006

3-month doctors strike partly over

Berlin, Germany - The three-month university hospital doctors` strike was nearing its end at the time of EH going to press.

Dr Frank Ulrich Montgomery, Director of the medical union Marburger Bund (MB) and, for the Employers’ Association of German States (TdL), the Minister of Finance for Lower Saxony, Hartmut Möllring, of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union), announced their agreement on 16 June.

The agreement equates to a compromise, which according to the Marburger Bund will increase in salaries by between 16-20%. The level of income for junior doctors is set to rise by around €5-600, corresponding to an increase of up to 18%. In addition, doctors are due to receive additional pay of 25% for working on public holidays and for being on-call.

These increases applied from 1 July. However, the unions did not manage to negotiate the extra pay of €100 a month for junior doctors, and the equalisation East and West German salaries for doctors.

The agreement applies to university hospitals – negotiations regarding an agreement for municipal hospitals continue.