MARBURG/GIESSEN (dpa-AFX) - Employees from non-medical areas of the University Hospital Giessen and Marburg took to the streets on Wednesday to demand more money. According to Verdi trade union secretary Fabian Dzewas-Rehm, around 500 people took part in a demonstration march from the main entrance of the Giessen site of the university hospital towards the city center. This was accompanied by a total of around 800 employees from non-medical departments in Giessen and Marburg taking strike action. In addition to nursing, this also includes therapeutic areas such as physiotherapy and radiology.

As on the previous day, there were restrictions for patients, such as the postponement of scheduled operations. Emergency service agreements had been concluded again in advance. Another all-day warning strike is planned for this Thursday at the Giessen site, before the third round of negotiations between employee representatives and management is due to start on Monday (February 19).

The UKGM management had criticized the warning strikes as "completely unnecessary". In addition to an inflation bonus, it is offering employees a pay rise of at least 300 euros per month, a collectively agreed increase of 100 euros from June 1 of this year and a further 5.5 percent collectively agreed increase from January 1, 2025.

The union is demanding an eleven per cent pay rise for the approximately 7,000 non-medical employees at the privatized university hospital, but at least 600 euros more. The UKGM is the third-largest university hospital in Germany, according to its own figures. Around 436,000 patients are treated annually at the two sites in 80 clinics with a total of 2,230 beds./csc/DP/men