Forget food for a moment, my damn garbage bill went up 25% for this year. Meanwhile in response to most large unions striking and asking for a 10% raise to cover inflation (haha as if) the German interior minister responded with “I think the 3% offer is sign of respect to the public sector workers.” Representatives in the Bundestag are trying to figure out how to limit the already significantly conditional right to strike in this country.
Forget food for a moment, my damn garbage bill went up 25% for this year.
Feels like utilities almost tripled over the past 1.5 years. 20% for food also seems way too low. I track my shopping cost fairly well and on average I’m paying like 50% more than before the war.
“I think the 3% offer is sign of respect to the public sector workers.”
It’s effectively a paycut of at least 5% lol. But I guess succdems being succdems.
most large unions striking and asking for a 10% raise to cover inflation (haha as if)
This is based as though. At least verdi is becoming much more combative compared to most unions docile stance last year. And even 10% is effectively just to balance out inflation, not a real raise.
My utility bills haven’t been affected just yet as we’re in the middle of contracts, but when it does hit it’ll hurt. 20% does seem low, so it’s worth noting that official inflation figures are adjusted based on what the government/statistics agency wants to show. Tracking your own expenses and personal inflation is definitely the way to go. That’s also what I meant with “haha as if” with regards to even a 10% raise - even that doesn’t cover real inflation anymore. Meanwhile the government wants to allow hospitals and clinics to actually cut pay by up to 6% to help with tight budgets.
I’m really glad Ver.di are getting more combative. That’s the kind of workers representation we need right now. The public sector unions are also trying to coordinate strikes for maximum effectiveness. Speaking of which I’ve really gotta be agitpropping in my workplace… I have a feeling we’re gonna get a nice round 0 this year, and there’s no union in sight.
I expect we’ll see some serious rioting happening in Germany sooner than later.
The compradores have hopefully not learned to smile and say “I completely understand 🙂 I’m one of you guys!” like their superiors in the U.S., because that shit seems to always buy an unpopular gov’t in the West unknowably large amounts of time
I get the impression that labour movements in Europe haven’t been dismantled quite to the same level they have been in the states. Once the sheer scale of what happen sinks in, I expect there is going to be an eruption of public anger.
If they start to riot, police will crack down on them so hard that French will look like pacifists in comparison. And all the media will be racing to have the most exaggerated picture of the alleged danger of said protesters. Something about burning cars and breaking windows of small businesses, I’m sure. Kremil spies, obviously. Perhaps a sob story about some cop who got bonked with a rock.
At some point things get to bad that the police start feeling the pain too. Once the security forces start identifying with the people more than their masters is when revolutions start.
Agreed. We have observed this in countries with socialist revolutions.
Although the ruling class seems to be at least instinctively aware of this, and so work to prevent such unity.
Yup, I think a lot will depend on the energy situation in Europe this winter.
I had a 500 euro energy bill in August and salaries down here are like almost half the German ones, its ridicolous and still, aside from a few people literally burning down their energy bills, and a few marches, , no one is doing nothing about it.
