The employees of Leipzig University Hospital (UKL) are in the midst of wage negotiations – these already culminated in warning strikes in mid-January. But it didn't stop there: 30 colleagues traveled to the Saxon State Parliament in their free time to directly confront Finance Minister Christian Piwarz and the negotiators with their demands.
They are demanding a seven percent wage increase, but at least 300 euros per month. At the same time, they criticize increasingly dilapidated infrastructure and budget cuts in the healthcare sector. What does this mean for the employees – and what, from their perspective, is at stake for society?
For many, it's no longer just about percentages – but about the question of what value care work has in this society and how much a functioning public health system is actually worth to the Free State of Saxony.
Kleo spoke about it with her colleagues Johanna and Frauke.
Kleo: What moods and feelings are you experiencing as strikers right now?
Johanna: The dispute is exhausting because we constantly have to explain and justify ourselves. For example, doctors from our clinic contacted the local press and accused us of preventing tumor surgeries because of our strikes – even though emergency service agreements ensure that care is provided. Hospital management is being instructed on how to prevent strikes or nip them in the bud. Therefore, one of our main tasks in the wage dispute is: talking, talking, talking. Informing colleagues, issuing corrections to the press, and winning doctors over to our cause. It's a battle on many fronts. But we're also experiencing how the wage dispute is bringing us closer together as colleagues at Leipzig University Hospital. Suddenly, for example, someone from the operating room meets someone from the dermatology clinic at the picket line. In the end, we share the same concerns and challenges. That unites us and makes us strong.
You received no offer in either the first or second round of negotiations – what support are you receiving from civil society and what support is needed?
Frauke: The fact that we haven't received a written offer from the employers by the third round of negotiations is disrespectful. We need public solidarity and more information about how strikes work in hospitals. We are not endangering anyone – we are fighting for safe care and better working conditions. We are not striking to endanger our patients – quite the opposite.
Civil society can make an important contribution to changing this narrative – for example, through discussions on a small or large scale, or by participating in strikes.
We are currently experiencing support primarily from the alliance "Leipzig Stands Together," a coalition of individuals from civil society. Together we are fighting for better public services.
Your demands are not just about higher wages, but also about better working conditions in the healthcare sector. What improvements would be necessary?
Johanna: In my view, health as a subject of capitalist goals is a questionable concept anyway. Besides, we need relief through increased staffing.
Clear staffing ratios are needed for every department in the hospital, and if these ratios are not met, the hospital must face sanctions. After night shifts, it's standard practice to get two days off, with the day spent resting already counting as one of those two days. On the third day, an early shift is already scheduled, which is physically exhausting. The current shift schedule is making people sick.
Supplies are constantly lacking: wheelchairs, blood glucose meters, bedding, etc., are regularly missing in our daily routine. The age of digitalization has progressed far, but the UKL (University Hospital Leipzig) hasn't. We need faster PCs to handle the high volume of documentation in a timely manner. This is just a small selection of improvements I'd like to see implemented sooner rather than later. If I were to have a quick brainstorming session with colleagues, the list would be considerably longer.
The UKL (University Hospital Leipzig) and its employees are severely affected by cuts in the Saxon state budget. At the same time, companies are achieving record profits. The federal government's so-called special fund provides money for armaments and infrastructure. Why do you think cuts are being made specifically to social and healthcare spending?
Frauke: For me, this clearly reveals political priorities. What is valued in this society? Healthcare is treated economically, rather than as a public responsibility. When employees are overburdened due to staff shortages and high workloads, the quality of care inevitably suffers. Good nursing and medical care require time, staff, and good working conditions – and that includes fair pay.
Many nursing staff are FLINTA* individuals and work in a sector that has been historically and structurally devalued. This devaluation is reflected not only in pay but also in the attention given to this sector. In recent years, many employees have taken action to stand up for themselves. For example, in North Rhine-Westphalia, colleagues won a collective agreement on workload reduction in a 77-day strike, or with the powerful 48-day industrial action in Berlin in 2025 by colleagues at the Charité subsidiary CFM, who achieved alignment with the public sector collective agreement.
There is enough money in Germany – it is a question of political will how money is distributed.
More specifically – how do these cuts affect your daily life? How do they impact your quality of life?
Johanna: The consequences of staff shortages are alarming. I am unable to meet my own professional standards and the needs of my patients. This affects the culture of care, my own daily stress levels, and makes me question my career choice.
My shifts are so exhausting that I have to adapt my free time to my work schedule. I'm often completely incapable of doing anything before and after work because I have no energy left – this can't go on.
If we were to meet again in a world where care work is recognized and well paid – what would your daily work routine look like?
Frauke: There would be enough staff, reliable schedules, and time for good care. We could remain healthy in our profession long-term, pursue further training, and truly do justice to patients. Nursing work would be valued and paid just as fairly as, for example, the work of a surgeon. Nurses would go home satisfied with their work, have time to recover, could rely on their schedules, and have enough energy for their lives outside of work. Even after 20 years, there would still be motivated nurses who treat patients, trainees, and their families with dignity because they, too, are treated with respect. There would be flatter hierarchies among the professional groups in the hospital, respectful communication, and consequently, a more humane atmosphere. This would have a positive impact on everyone involved in the hospital. Grete Müller would no longer be just a number among many, but rather Grete Müller: a person with a face, her own wishes and behaviors, whom I would treat accordingly.
Thank you for the interview!
If you would like to support the employees of UKL, follow them on Instagram: @bg_ukl
