The ongoing wage dispute between Charité Facility Management (CFM) and the Verdi union has reached a critical juncture, with CFM offering an 18% pay increase over three years for its 3,200 employees. However, Verdi has rejected the proposal, citing insufficient alignment with public sector wage agreements. The conflict has led to strikes and protests, including planned demonstrations during Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner’s office hours in Tempelhof1.
CFM’s Wage Offer and Union Response
CFM, a subsidiary of Berlin’s Charité hospital, proposed an 18% wage hike spread over three years for employees in medical technology, transport, cleaning, and security roles. The offer aims to address long-standing grievances but falls short of Verdi’s demands for parity with the public sector’s TVöD agreement. Verdi criticized the lack of increases in shift-work bonuses and other benefits, which are standard in TVöD contracts2.
The union has organized strikes until May 15, with protests targeting Berlin’s political leadership. CFM employs approximately 3,500 workers, many of whom are essential to hospital operations. The dispute highlights broader tensions in Germany’s public sector wage negotiations, where unions increasingly demand inflation-adjusted raises and improved working conditions3.
Broader Context: Public Sector and Airport Ground Staff Deals
Verdi recently secured a separate agreement for 30,000 airport ground staff, guaranteeing no strikes until March 2027. The deal includes a 3% wage increase from April 2025, followed by a 2.8% raise in May 2026, alongside improved shift bonuses and one-time payments4. This contrasts sharply with CFM’s offer, which lacks similar concessions.
In the public sector, Verdi negotiated a 3% wage increase (minimum €110) starting April 2025, with additional raises and enhanced bonuses for shift workers. The union described the outcome as “difficult” but emphasized gains for lower-income employees5. These agreements set a benchmark for CFM’s negotiations, increasing pressure on the company to revise its proposal.
Implications and Next Steps
The standoff risks disrupting services at Charité, one of Germany’s largest hospitals. Verdi’s strike actions could escalate if CFM refuses to improve its offer. Meanwhile, Berlin’s political leadership faces scrutiny over its handling of labor disputes, particularly amid ongoing cyberattacks on city infrastructure and social inequality in childcare access6, 7.
For stakeholders, the dispute underscores the challenges of balancing fiscal constraints with worker demands in essential services. CFM’s next move will likely determine whether strikes intensify or negotiations resume.
References
- “Tarifstreit: CFM bietet 18 Prozent mehr Geld – Verdi unzufrieden,” ZEIT ONLINE, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.zeit.de/news/2025-04/29/cfm-bietet-18-prozent-mehr-geld-verdi-unzufrieden.
- “Charité-Tochter CFM bietet 18 Prozent mehr Geld – Verdi unzufrieden,” Börsennews, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.boersennews.de/nachrichten/artikel/dpa-afx/charite-tochter-cfm-bietet-18-prozent-mehr-geld-verdi-unzufrieden/4763242/.
- “Tarifstreit mit Verdi: CFM bietet Mitarbeitern 18 Prozent mehr Geld an,” Tagesspiegel, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/tarifstreit-mit-verdi-cfm-bietet-mitarbeitern-18-prozent-mehr-geld-an-13609654.html.
- “Bodenpersonal an deutschen Flughäfen wird zwei Jahre lang nicht streiken,” n-tv, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.n-tv.de/ticker/Bodenpersonal-an-deutschen-Flughaefen-wird-zwei-Jahre-lang-nicht-streiken-article25734348.html.
- “Tarifabschluss im öffentlichen Dienst,” ver.di, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://zusammen-geht-mehr.verdi.de/++co++8ff423ea-1219-11f0-857c-a3ea576fb94f.
- “Cyberangriff: Senatskanzlei-Hauptstadtportal berlin.de wieder erreichbar,” Tagesspiegel, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/cyberangriff-senatskanzlei-hauptstadtportal-berlinde-wieder-erreichbar-13608649.html.
- “Studie: Wohlhabende Städte in Deutschland besonders gut mit Kita-Plätzen versorgt,” STERN, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.stern.de/news/studie–wohlhabende-staedte-in-deutschland-besonders-gut-mit-kitaplaetzen-versorgt-35678408.html.
