The vote came after regional union officials, under pressure from the ranks, rejected an arbitration ruling in early June. The ruling, accepted by top union officials, held wage increases to 1.8 percent this year and 2.2 percent in 2001. The ÖTV union, organizing mainly blue-collar workers, and the DAG union, made up of white-collar workers, have some 3 million members. They had demanded a 5 percent increase this year.

More than 76 percent of the ÖTV members who voted cast a ballot in favor of a strike, as did 73 percent of the DAG members. ÖTV statutes require a 75 percent majority for strike action while DAG statutes require a 70 percent majority. The teachers union, with 80,000 members, also approved a walkout.  
 
Workers in east demand parity
The strike vote was strongest in the eastern parts of Germany, where workers demanded wage increases that would give them parity with workers in the western part of the country. The arbitration ruling included a 3.5 percent wage increase this year for workers in the east, bringing them up to only 90 percent of the wage level of their counterparts in the west 10 years after German reunification.

Chancellor Schröder intervened in the affairs of the unions and urged the workers not to vote for a strike. He said such an action was inappropriate at a time when Germany was benefiting from an economic upswing. Other government officials had pointed to the low wage settlements in the chemical industry as a norm and argued that the workers in the public sector could not expect more.

The chemical workers union settled for wage increases of just 2.2 percent this year, a contract that was followed by one with the metal workers union in North Rhine-Westphalia that gives only a 3 percent wage hike this year and a 2.1 percent the next. These are being pointed to as a norm by the capitalists and government officials, not only for Germany but for European countries as a whole.

The small wage increases are being challenged by the metal workers in the east who demanded both a shorter workweek and that wages be raised to the level in the west.

Public workers in Germany have for years been the target of austerity measures by both the federal and state governments. This is justified on the basis of meeting budget criteria stipulated by European Union governments prior to the introduction of the euro last year.

Many protests have taken place by students, teachers, and hospital workers in response to these attacks.

Earlier this year, for example, tens of thousands of students and teachers organized demonstrations and walkouts in Berlin to demand better conditions.

This year the social democratic government in Germany and the employers had, up until the public workers rejected the arbitration ruling, been successful in keeping wages down by promising job security. As a comparison, workers in Finland and Norway through strike action won around 4 percent increases this year.

Immediately following the public workers' vote in favor of a strike, Interior Minister Otto Schily sought a meeting with Herbert Mai, head of ÖTV, in order to reopen pay negotiations.

Mai also signaled his readiness to talk, but Schily said the arbitration ruling marked the upward boundaries of what the government would offer.

Stakes are high for the rulers in Germany in this confrontation with the unions. After appearing strong in relation to their competitors in Europe by starting to come to terms with the unions this year, a big public sector strike could dramatically change that picture. All the weakness of a "reunified" Germany could instead come to the fore.

The last strike in the public sector was in 1992, which lasted 11 days. Garbage piled in the streets and public transport and air traffic was interrupted. If attempts to restart negotiations fails, strike action could start June 14.

Carl-Erik Isacsson is a member of the metal workers union in Södertälje, Sweden.  
 
 
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