Berlin hospital wage talks collapse as Verdi and Vivantes hit impasse
Wage talks between Verdi and Berlin’s Vivantes hospital group have broken down after nine rounds of negotiations. The dispute involves around 2,200 employees working in catering, cleaning, logistics, and other support roles at Vivantes' subsidiary companies. Both sides now face a pause before the next scheduled meeting on May 15. The latest round of negotiations ended without progress, prompting Verdi to suspend discussions. The union accused Vivantes of stalling, claiming the hospital group used a dispute over emergency staffing as an excuse to delay a pay agreement. Verdi’s core demand is a collective bargaining deal that would fully align wages with public-sector hospital standards (TVöD-K).
Vivantes responded by calling Verdi’s decision to pause talks incomprehensible. The hospital group insisted it remains committed to finding a sustainable solution but criticised the union for halting negotiations. Earlier, Vivantes had urged Verdi to return to the table with a more constructive approach. The deadlock leaves employees in limbo, with no resolution in sight before the next scheduled talks.
The next round of negotiations is set for May 15. Until then, the 2,200 affected workers will continue under existing pay terms. Both sides have yet to signal any compromise on the key issues.
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