Whether Schulze in the crossfire: financing debacle and collective bargaining!

Whether Schulze in the crossfire: financing debacle and collective bargaining!

In Chemnitz it is bubbling! On December 14th, Mayor Sven Schulze spoke about the household and the upcoming collective bargaining in the Free Press. But the ver.di union did not ask for comment - a clear sign of disregard. Ver.di has been calling on the municipalities to tackle the challenges of financing questions together since the beginning of December. Instead, the pressure on the employees is increased by the accusation that supposedly high wages are responsible for the financial difficulties. However, this passes the reality, because the rising salaries have not even been able to compensate for inflationary price increases in recent years, such as ver.di reports .

The discussion about an alleged household hole in Chemnitz has had a massive impact on household negotiations since autumn 2024, whereby the increasing personnel costs are used as a scapegoat. However, the mayor ignores the fact that the wage developments have been known since the tariff in April 2023 and would have had the chance to actively tackle the financial bottlenecks. In his statements on the social partnership, Schulze gives the impression that unions are harmful to the economy. But in times when the automotive industry is under pressure, it would be fatal to save on wages in the public service - this would significantly reduce purchasing power and endanger political stability.

Danger from the political environment

The current Situation is not only a challenge for Chemnitz, but also for Germany as a whole. At a time when international cooperation is more than ever asked, as Minister Svenja Schulze , we have to put global crises such as climate change across political borders. The municipalities' financing problems have an impact far beyond Chemnitz. The unjust distribution of resources could lead to Germany being weakened in its international role, which in the long term also has direct consequences for German citizens who rely on a stable social and economic framework.