SECOND ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS JANUARY 15/16 WITH AN OUTRAGEOUS “OFFER”
Without any valid arguments, employers continue to oppose collective bargaining for student employees
NOW IT’S TIME FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE TO THE STREETS FOR #HOCHSCHULAKTIONSTAG!
At the end of the second round of negotiations with the Tarifgemeinschaft deutscher Länder (TdL), employers continue to categorically rule out a collective agreement for the more than 300,000 student employees. The “reasons” this time: the TVStud jeopardizes academic freedom, and the German Rectors’ Conference is opposed to it. The coffers are empty, they say, and universities have to make cuts. That is why TVStud would be at the expense of other employee groups. In short: we are supposed to pay for what they, as politicians and our employers, are responsible for, and then we are pitted against our colleagues.
This means that the gap in collective agreements on working conditions is to remain as it is. Instead of admitting that the contractual agreement only has an effect where universities take it seriously—and that is only the case in isolated instances, as we know from parliamentary inquiries and a study by the University of Göttingen—they continue to act as if there were only implementation problems and a collective agreement were not necessary.
| WE DEMAND A PAY SCALE FOR US STUDENT EMPLOYEES | And this is what employers say |
|---|---|
| Uniform hourly wage of €17 in the first year of employment, from the second year: €18, from the third year: €19 (calculated from the start of the first employment contract) | For a term of 29 months: from the 2026 summer semester: €15.06 from the 2027 summer semester: €15.76 from the 2028 summer semester: €16.49 |
| Minimum contract term of 24 months | Consider adjusting this to the “reality” of 7 to 8 months |
| Minimum working hours of 40 hours/month (less than this only at the request of the employee) | Under no circumstances should there be a regulation on this |
Impressions from the negotiations
The Rectors’ Conference is against a TVStud.
Andreas Dressel (SPD)
Chairman of the TdL
Finance Senator of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
The TdL is avoiding its responsibility. They are the negotiating partners when it comes to negotiating a collective agreement, not the Rectors’ Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)). In addition, when asked what arguments there are against the TVStud, the TdL responds, among other things, that it cannot be imposed on universities and that the TdL’s authority is limited in this area due to the freedom of research and teaching. But firstly, according to this logic, there should be no salaried employees at universities at all, and secondly, academic freedom ends at the latest when the opportunity to teach and conduct research depends on the parents’ wallet and the discretion of superiors.
There is no majority in favour of a collective agreement for student employees.
In 8 of the 15 federal states represented in the TdL, the state governments are in favor of collective bargaining agreements for student employees, and Berlin already has a TVStud (collective bargaining agreement for students). This is a clear majority, which already existed in the last round of collective bargaining, but as early as 2023, the TdL members made it clear that they did not feel bound by the government plans of their states. Such empty promises only serve to create disillusionment with politics!
If most universities do not comply with the minimum contract term of one year, perhaps the agreed terms were a mistake. For this reason, universities should not be shackled with minimum working hour requirements that they cannot meet, only to be accused in the next round of collective bargaining of failing to comply with the contractual agreement.
Corinna Kuhny
Head of the Collective Bargaining Law Department at the Lower Saxony Ministry of Finance
This statement shows how little the TdL bases its arguments on facts: it has been proven time and again that student employees work in this capacity for an average of just under two years, often in the same positions. In addition to the fact that our minimum contract terms simply reflect the reality of employment, this could also reduce administrative procedures. Statements such as those made by Ms. Kuhny, on the other hand, clearly show how little the TdL values its regulatory authority and power of enforcement.
Voices of your TVStud negotiating committee
“In this round of negotiations, the TdL has made it clear that, in its view, academia has a free pass for precarious working conditions without collective bargaining protection. An offer that rejects two-thirds of our demands with spurious arguments and provides for hourly wages just above the minimum wage is not worthy of the name. If the TdL does not budge, we must make them budge. This requires strong organization at the universities!” (Lisa Wagenschwanz — TVStud Thüringen)
“Parliamentary inquiries and initial findings from a study conducted by the University of Göttingen clearly show that in 13 out of 16 federal states, the minimum contract term of 12 months is still not the norm, and in many cases is even the exception. There are significant differences in how this is applied between states and universities—in many places, it seems to be understood as a non-binding optional provision. Pressure must be increased to ensure that what has been agreed is complied with—and that can only be achieved with a collective agreement!” (Ann-Kathrin Hoffmann — TVStud Nordrhein-Westfalen)
“During the discussion, Andreas Dressel said that coalition agreements are merely declarations of intent for him and are as binding as our contractual agreement. This is a slap in the face, and it is unclear which of their roles the TdL members take less seriously: that of politicians or that of employers in the public sector! This is a scandal that we are not prepared to accept!” (Johanna Reinke — TVStud Hamburg)
“The TdL is once again playing responsibility ping-pong, this time assigning the role of ‘bad cop’ to university rectors. This makes it all the more important to hold our employers, from university presidents to state governments, jointly accountable and to increase the pressure. The University Action Day on January 28 offers the perfect opportunity to do so!” (Maximilian Wimmer — TVStud Bayern)
WE DEMAND A COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT FOR US STUDENT EMPLOYEES!
We all need to exert pressure to show the TdL how serious we are. By the third round of negotiations on February 11–13, 2026, we must make it clear: No more half measures! We want a collective agreement!
That’s why we’re taking to the streets on January 28, 2026, for a nationwide #Hochschulaktionstag (university action day)! We are pushing for good working and studying conditions in a university that is financed according to its needs! Give the universities and the TdL a counterattack!
The planning and formation of local alliances is in full swing. If you want to make the day of action a strike day, you must now approach your full-time colleagues in ver.di and GEW and discuss this with them. Ultimately, our unions need to call for a strike if you want to walk off the job together with many colleagues in other cities on January 28, 2026.
You can find all the information about events in your city here (only available in German)! The list is constantly being updated.