Seized by the majority services union, Verdi, the Federal Labor Court of Erfurt issued an appeals judgment, on June 11, stating that the small health union, Medsonet, affiliated with the Christian Trade Union Federation of Germany (CGB) was not representative enough to negotiate collective agreements and that those it had already signed were therefore not valid. This decree is a new step in Verdi’s fight against Christian unions, who allegedly sign “indulgence agreements” with employers. Already weakened by a series of court losses, ailing Christian unions could become more and more secondary in the German union landscape. (Ref. 130393)
Not enough members. For the 16 unions affiliated with the CGB’s Christian unions (Christlicher Gewerkschaftsbund), this is a new defeat which could have a heavy impact. After ruling that the “Union of Christian temporary unions” (CGZP) was not suited to negotiate collective agreements in December 2010 (see article No. 100890), the Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht) gave the same ruling for the Medsonet health workers’ union.
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