Motion on Freedom of Association

The European Junior Doctors‘ Permanent Working Group calls on the German federal government to halt plans to introduce legislation that will curtail the rights of smaller specialist trade unions (called 'Tarifeinheitsgesetz'), and shares the Marburger Bund’s serious concerns. 

The draft law states that the collective agreement of the trade union with the largest number of members in a company takes precedence over all other collective agreements. In most German hospitals the Marburger Bund, being a trade union for physicians only, would represent the minority of employees, as unions representing other healthcare professions will frequently possess a greater number of members. This effectively means that Marburger Bund would be unable to negotiate binding collective agreements in the future, and, therefore, poses a major threat to Marburger Bund and doctors' working conditions. Among other aspects the Marburger Bund would lose its right to strike.

The EJD is of the opinion that doctors should be able to organise their interests in the trade union of their choosing, and that these unions should be able to conclude valid collective agreements for their members. In Germany this would no longer be the case if the „Tarifeinheitsgesetz“ comes into effect.

The planned law is undemocratic and an attack on trade unions', physicians', and all citizens' fundamental rights.

The European Junior Doctors‘ Permanent Working Group appeals to the members of German Bundestag and the German federal government to halt the introduction of this undemocratic law; allow physicians' to retain their rights; and protect the freedom of association of the Marburger Bund.