Demonstration for relief: Employees the MHH fight for their rights

Demonstration for relief: Employees the MHH fight for their rights

The argument between the Lower Saxony State Government and the employees of the Hannover Medical School (MHH) is heading. After the decision of the labor court, which has banned a planned warning strike, the ver.di union now calls for a demonstration. This is scheduled for Friday, August 23, 2024. The union and the MHH employees are severely restricted in their right to a collective agreement and to enforce their interests.

reactions and resistance of the employees

The reactions of the MHH employees are clear. Katja Brockhausen, a committed nurse and member of the ver.di tariff commission, says: "The distraction maneuvers and attempts at intimidation will not stop us. We are determined to fight for more staff and relief-not only for us, but also for our patients." The annoyance of the current situation is great and the employees are still committed to better working conditions.

Nils Hoffmann, chairman of the staff council at the MHH, supports this resistance and emphasizes that there are similar collective agreements nationwide in most university clinics that benefit the personnel. "There is no understandable reason why this should not be possible at the MHH," he explains. The official agreement proposed by the state government is insufficiently regarded by HUK as, since it would violate the HR Representation Act, according to the staff council.

Details about the upcoming demonstration

The demonstration of ver.di will start on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at Goseriede 12 in Hannover. The subsequent demonstration train leads through the city center. At 4:45 p.m., a final rally on the square at the Goseriede is planned. This event is intended to set a strong sign for the rights of the employees and against the current situation and underline the demands for more personnel and an improvement in working conditions.

The situation on the MHH is a reflection of a deeper problem in the health system, which drives many employees to despair. The needs of the clinic staff go far beyond individual discomfort; It is an appeal to those responsible to take the real challenges with which the nursing staff are confronted and finally take concrete steps to improve. The dispute over the collective agreement could become a decisive turn in the discussion about the working conditions in the healthcare system, more than ever, the political and social pressure is now asked to bring about sustainable changes.

The clashes of collective agreements and better working conditions in healthcare are not a new phenomenon. The pressure on staff in hospitals has increased in recent years, in particular through high workloads, lack of personnel and the requirements that have been reinforced by the Covid 19 pandemic. The salaries of employees, who are often inadequate despite the massive use, contribute to dissatisfaction. Initiatives such as those of ver.di are therefore part of a larger trend in which employees actively advocate their rights in many sectors.

A corresponding example from the past is the "nursing emergency" that has been discussed in Germany since the 2010s. Previous measures of politics, such as the nursing staff regulation, have often not brought the hoped -for relief. In many university clinics, collective agreements were successfully introduced to discharge the staff, but there are significant differences between the facilities. While some clinics offer contemporary working conditions, a lot remains the same, which leads to migration of specialists. At the MHH, however, the employees see the need to fight for comparable standards.

political and social framework conditions

The employees at the Hanover Medical School are not alone. There are numerous initiatives nationwide that work to improve working conditions in healthcare. Political debates about the financing of the health system and the shortage of skilled workers increase the pressure to find suitable solutions. The reliability of health care depends largely on the employees who often have to work beyond what is necessary in a stressful environment. So it is no coincidence that the unions are particularly active during this time.

In addition, the labor market for healthcare specialists is characterized by competitive pressure that assumes both public and private providers. The lack of personnel not only leads to an increased burden on employees, but also to a significant risk of patient safety. The demands of the ver.di for relief and the right to strike are therefore not only an expression of displeasure, but also a necessary step to improve the framework conditions for medical personnel.

Current statistics in healthcare

A study by the Federal Medical Association shows that 61% of the health care workers complain about an acute lack of personnel. This not only leads to an increased burden on the existing staff, but also to longer waiting times for patients and a potential deterioration in the quality of care. In a survey by the German Professional Association for Nursing Professions (DBfK), 77% of those surveyed stated that working conditions have not improved in recent years.

The constant indications of inadequate salaries and overtime have also led to many specialists leave the industry or are hardly motivated to work in healthcare. A sustainable solution can only be achieved through structural change and sufficient investments in health care. The current case at the MHH is therefore not only a specific conflict, but is part of a more comprehensive problem that requires a longer breath to achieve sustainable changes.