The score is 10 to 5!

No majority? We won’t be deceived!

What needs to be done now to push through the collective labor agreement for student employees (TVStud) against the resistance of the federal states!

In a few weeks, on December 7 and 8, the negotiations between our trade unions ver.di/GEW and the employers’ association (Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder – TdL) will resume in Potsdam. At the last meeting, a collective agreement for student employees first became a topic of negotiation, but the stonewalling continues. For this reason, we must now come together to exert pressure from the streets. Our tools to achieve concessions from the employers’ association are strikes and political pressure on the ministries of finance and science of the respective federal states. The TdL and its chairman Andreas Dressel (Senator for Finance in Hamburg) are currently claiming that they do not have the necessary 3/5 majority internally to negotiate such a collective agreement with the trade unions, and are even far from it:

The fact is, however, that 8 federal states are explicitly in favor of a collective agreement for student employees, with another supporting the improvement of our working conditions. In Berlin, a collective agreement for student employees is already established, and has been since the 1980s. This means that it is actually at least (!) 10 to 5. (Hessen, which is not a member of the employers’ association, would also like to improve working conditions.)

Federal state	Positions	Responsible persons
Baden-Württemberg CDU, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2021—2026)¹	On TVStud: – On collective labor agreements: “Impulses for the future of work: We will develop Baden-Württemberg into a model state for good work. We want collectively paid work and strong collective agreement coverage. […] We support all nationwide regulations that sustainably strengthen social partnership, collective agreement coverage and co-determination.” (p. 45)	Danyal Bayaz (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Minister of Finance Petra Olschowski (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Minister of Science, Research and Arts
Bavaria CSU, Freie Wähler (2023–2028)²	On TVStud: – Zu On collective labor agreements: –	Albert Füracker (CSU), State Minister of Finance and Regional Identity Markus Blume (CSU), State Minister of Science and Art
Berlin SPD, CDU (2021—2026)³	On TVStud: A collective agreement for student employees currently exists since 1980 On collective labor agreements: “Innovative means that we consistently think together the unique university and research landscape, the global corporations and medium-sized companies active in our city, the vibrant start-up sector and the creative young people who come to Berlin from all over the world: […] The commitment to both a noticeable reduction in bureaucracy and good work with fair wages and a high level of collective agreement coverage is an important factor for the development of our city.” (p.8)	Stefan Evers (CDU), Senator for Finance Ina Czyborra (SPD), Senator for Science, Health and Care
Brandenburg SPD, CDU, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2019—2024)⁴	On TVStud: “Minister of Science Schüle promised to support the students’ concerns. Brandenburg would campaign within the collective bargaining association of the federal states for better working conditions and longer terms.“⁵ “Brandenburg is in favor of a collective agreement for student employees. This was the result of the Oral Question put to Minister of the Interior Michael Stübgen by the spokesperson for science policy of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group, Sahra Damus, in today’s plenary session [10.05.2023]. “⁶ On collective labor agreements: “The coalition wants to strengthen collective agreement coverage in Brandenburg so that the labor market in Brandenburg offers good working conditions to the people.” (S. 40)	Michael Stübgen (CDU), Minister of the Interior and for Municipal Affairs Manja Schüle (SPD), Minister of Science, Research and Culture
Bremen SPD, Bündnis 90/die Grünen, die Linke (2019—2023)⁷	On TVStud: “The coalition will […] actively work within the collective bargaining association of the federal states to ensure that negotiations for a collective agreement for student assistants are started quickly.” (p. 80) On collective labor agreements: “As in the previous legislative period, we will use all possibilities under state law to strengthen collective agreement coverage. At the federal level, we will continue to work to ensure that mini-jobs are converted into employment with social security contributions, that temporary work is largely abolished and that fixed-term contracts are kept to a necessary minimum.” (p. 25)	Björn Fecker (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Senator for Finance Kathrin Moosdorf (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Senator for Environment, Climate and Science
Hamburg SPD, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2020—2025)	On TVStud: “The Senate is requested […] 3. to continue to advocate within the collective bargaining association of the federal states for the inclusion of student employees in the collective labor agreement of the federal states, 4. to advocate at the federal level and within the collective bargaining association of the federal states for the institution through law or collective agreement of a minimum contract duration for student employees of two semesters or more as a rule, II. to examine how a minimum contract duration for student employees of at least two semesters as a rule can be sensibly established for Hamburg.”⁸ “A separate collective agreement for student employees is suitable to better take into account the objective needs and abilities of students when structuring the employment relationship. A rational, collective negotiation of interests is additionally an important lesson for later employment relationships and one’s own active democratic participation. This is important at academic educational institutions as well. The red-green coalition in Hamburg ran for election in order to create good working conditions — for all of its employees, including student employees.” On collective labor agreements: –	Andreas Dressel (SPD), Senator for Finance Katharina Fegebank (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Senator for Science, Research, Equality and Districts of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern SPD, die Linke (2021— 2026)⁹	On TVStud: “Within the collective bargaining association of the federal states (TdL), the coalition partners are committed to acheiving a uniform national collective agreement for student and academic assistants at the level of the collective agreement for the public service of the federal states (TVL). Irrespective of this, the current maximum rates within the TdL are to be exhausted and possible differences between West and East are to be abolished” (p. 51) On collective labor agreements: “The coalition partners are explicitly committed to collective bargaining autonomy. Collective agreements are the key instrument for implementing the principle of “good wages for good work” in our state. The aim of the coalition partners is to support the parties involved in collective bargaining on the path to greater collective agreement coverage.” (p. 20)	Heiko Geue (SPD), Minister of Finance Bettina Martin (SPD), Minister of Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs
Lower Saxony SPD, CDU (2022—2027)¹⁰	On TVStud: “We support a collective agreement for student assistants at the state level.” (S. 69) On collective labor agreements: “Particularly in a time of upheaval, good work, co-determination and collective agreements guarantee stability through good and secure jobs. Dumping-based business models therefore have no future in our federal state. To strengthen collective bargaining autonomy and social partnership, collective agreement coverage must be increased again” (p. 27)	Gerald Heere (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Minister of Finance Falko Mohrs (SPD), Minister of Science and Culture
North Rhine-Westphalia CDU, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2022—2027)¹¹	On TVStud: “We are committed to ensuring that student assistants are included in the collective agreement of the federal states.” (p. 68) “In its implementation of the statement in the coalition agreement of advocacy for the inclusion of student assistants in the collective agreement of the federal states (TV-L), the state government additionally supports the collective bargaining partners in the implementation of conclusions and measures as determined by the current review of the employment conditions of student assistants. “¹² (p. 3) On collective labor agreements: “We want strong social partners and comprehensive collective agreement coverage. The work of works councils, trade unions and employers’ associations is essential for this.” (p. 101)	Marcus Optendrenk (CDU), Minister of Finance Ina Brandes (CDU), Minister of Culture and Science
Rhineland-Palatinate SPD (2021—2026)¹³	On TVStud: – On collective labor agreements: “The strengthening of collective agreement coverage is necessary to achieve better pay for employees above the minimum wage.” (p. 77)	Doris Ahnen (SPD), Minister of Finance Clemens Hoch (SPD), Minister of Science and Health
Saarland SPD (2022—2027)¹⁴	On TVStud: “The principle of Good Work also applies to student and academic assistants. As a result, we will take them into account in Saarland’s employee representation law and work towards collective agreements.” (p. 23) On collective labor agreements: “Collective wage is better than minimum wage. As a co-determination state, we are strengthening collective agreement coverage with the Fairer Wages Act. With this act, Saarland is once again a nationwide pioneer for Good Work and proper collective agreements” (p. 11)	Reinhold Jost (SPD), Minister of the Interior, Building and Sports Jakob von Weizsäcker (SPD), Minister of Finance and Science
Saxony CDU, Bündnis 90/die Grünen, SPD (2019—2024)¹⁵	On TVStud: “For student and research assistants, we apply the guidelines of the collective bargaining association of the federal states in full.” (p. 17) On collective labor agreements: “Strengthening social partnership and collective agreement coverage is an important principle for us.” (p. 2)	Hartmut Vorjohann (CDU), State Minister of Finance Sebastian Gemkow (CDU), State Minister of Science
Saxony-Anhalt SPD, CDU, FDP (2021— 2026)¹⁶	On TVStud: – On collective labor agreements: “The coalition partners are therefore committed to fair wages, a high level of collective agreement coverage and strong social partnership.” (S. 9)	Michael Richter (CDU), Minister of Finance Armin Willingmann (SPD), Minister of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and Environment
Schleswig-Holstein CDU, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2022—2027)¹⁷	On TVStud: “In order to be able to offer a fair and good workplace for student employees as well, we continue to advocate within the collective bargaining association of the federal states for a collective agreement for student employees.” (p. 238) On collective labor agreements: “We will strengthen collective agreement coverage.” (p. 164)	Monika Heinold (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Minister of Finance Karin Prien (CDU), Minister of Education, Science and Culture
Thuringia Die Linke, SPD, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2019—2024)¹⁸	On TVStud: “To improve the situation of student employees, we will hold talks with the trade unions and student representatives concerning the establishment of a framework agreement, taking into account the collective bargaining association of the federal states.” (p. 26) On collective labor agreements: “We want to promote the strengthening of collective agreement coverage, the development of protective standards and conditions of healthy work, the further development of co-determination as well as family-friendly working conditions.” (p. 7)	Heike Taubert (SPD), Minister of Finance Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD), Minister of Economy and Science
As Hesse is not a member of the employers’ association, negotiations will take place seperately beginning in February 2024:
Hesse CDU, Bündnis 90/die Grünen (2019—2023)¹⁹	On TVStud: “Because it is clear that there is no excellence without fair working conditions at universities — in all performance dimensions. We have student assistants just as much in mind as doctoral students. The proportion of short-term and consecutive fixed-term contracts should therefore be limited as far as possible. On the employee side, positions for permanent tasks should be designed as permanent positions. Building on the voluntary commitments already formulated by the universities, we will jointly develop a “Code for Good Work”. […] To improve working conditions for student assistants, we will, in addition to the Code of Good Work, develop in dialog with the universities a way of regulating the employment of student assistants similarly to collective agreements in the areas of sick leave, vacation and remuneration.” (S. 185-186) On collective labor agreements: “The coalition partners are therefore committed to fair wages, a high level of collective agreement coverage and strong social partnership.” (S. 9)	Michael Boddenberg (CDU), Minister of Finance Angela Dorn-Rancke (Bündnis 90/die Grünen), Minister of Science and Art

What needs to happen next?

We must put pressure on the responsible ministers NOW!

Our strongest weapon is the strike. It is therefore important that as many employees and students as possible follow the trade unions’ call and take part in the strikes for the implementation of our demands.
You might additionally use the publicity surrounding the strike days to specifically address the responsible finance and science ministers based on the political promises compiled above and demand the implementation of their election promises regarding collective labor agreements and TVStud. In addition to targeted press work, you can also organize or participate in a protest march directly to the relevant authorities and ministries.
Beyond this, you can organize your own targeted actions in which you address the responsible ministers in a publicity-effective manner. Possibilities include a rally in front of the office of the responsible authority, an open letter with many supporters, an invitation to a conversation, but any number of creative strategies for action can be utilized here.
And, of course, you can also run a social media campaign in which you specifically point out problems, name the people who are politically responsible and put them under pressure.
But the most important thing remains: strike, strike, strike! And that means all of us!