Heuking advises University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in averting strike action

A team led by Dr. Johan-Michel Menke successfully advsied University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in averting strike action. Following a decision by Lübeck Labor Court, trade union Ver.di is now withdrawing its call for strike action.

“University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein prevailed against trade union ver.di before Lübeck Labor Court today. According to the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein press release, “ver.di has called off the strikes announced for January, 22, 23 and 24, 2020.”

“We are relieved that we have averted the risk of lacking care for our patients due to a strike by verd.di,” said Professor Dr. Jens Scholz, CEO of University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein. “We are hopeful that we will now enter into serious discussions that will lead to a reduction in our employees’ workload.” At the end of last week, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein applied to the Labor Court for a preliminary injunction to prohibit ver.di from carrying out warning strikes from January 22 to 24, 2020 and to obligate the trade union to conclude an emergency service agreement with specific content.

The emergency service agreement is essential to guarantee medical care for the northernmost German state’s 2.8 million citizens in the event of a strike. ver.di is demanding from University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein to conclude a collective bargaining agreement which, among other things, provides for specific minimum staffing levels in hospital wards. University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein is the only maximum medical care provider in Schleswig-Holstein. At about 14,000 employees in 80 clinics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein is that state’s largest employer.

Counsel to University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Dr. Johan-Michel Menke, LL.M. (Lead), Hamburg
Dr. Arietta v. Stechow (Litigation, Employment), Hamburg
Bernd Weller (Collective Bargaining Law), Frankfurt
Dr. Christoph Gerhard (Employment, Litigation), Frankfurt