ON February 13, a car tragically ploughed into a peaceful demonstration by public-sector workers in Munich. Among the 39 injured, a woman and her two-year-old daughter unfortunately lost their lives.

The demonstration, organised by the Ver.di trade union, was aimed at highlighting the growing crisis in Germany’s public sector. But as the story unfolded, British media’s focus shifted away from the issues it was protesting, towards the background of the perpetrator, an Afghan national with a valid German residence and work permit, as well as to whether the attack was an act of religious terrorism, despite no evidence linking the offender to a jihadist group.

By the end of February 13, reference to Ver.di was often forgotten by much of British media and in some news items there was no reference to how the attack was on trade union activists altogether.

While the attack is shocking and we must remember the victims, families, and communities affected, it is also vital to understand contextually why different groups of Ver.di members had decided to demonstrate. This is especially important as lives were lost as a consequence of someone attacking trade union activists.

Ver.di is the second-largest trade union in Germany, with just under 2 million members. Currently, it is campaigning to improve pay and conditions, workload, pensions, and job security for public-sector workers, including those who work in “Kitas” (Kindertagesstatte) — a collective term for preschool daycare centres in Germany for children under the age of seven.

German childcare crisis

Germany has one of the lowest childcare costs of any developed nation. Low childcare costs, combined with evolving attitudes towards women in the workforce, seem to have stimulated an increasing number of mothers wishing to return to work after giving birth.

In 2023, the German Federal Statistics Office reported that approximately 69 per cent of German women with children under 18 were employed — an 11 per cent increase compared to 1997.

Despite the situation appearing positive at first glance, German Kitas are in crisis. There is a significant shortage of childcare workers, leading to insufficient spaces to match demand.

A report by the Paritatische Gesamtverband, an umbrella association for health and social work organisations, stated that there were about 125,000 unfilled childcare vacancies in Germany in June 2024. This may explain why the Bertelsmann Foundation found that 74 per cent of children attending daycare do not have enough qualified personnel attending to them.

With Kitas being at capacity — and in some cases, overcrowded — this logically leads to stressful working conditions and staff ill health. The Bertelsmann Foundation reported that childcare workers were unable to work for about 30 days in 2023, while the average for all other German professions was around 20 days.

A report by the Deutscher Kita-Verband stated that approximately 50 per cent of Kitas in Germany had reduced their hours or temporarily closed due to staffing shortages. This is likely to have had a knock-on effect on the wider German workforce, forcing parents to take unplanned parental leave.

Overworked and underpaid

Beyond poor working conditions, a key reason Kitas have difficulty recruiting is pay. Despite the German coalition government approving extra funding, the wages of Kita workers are still below the national average. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the average salary of a Kita worker is €3,749 per month, whereas the average monthly salary in Germany is €4,479.

It is also frustrating to note that many Kita workers are well qualified and should be paid higher given their level of qualifications. Furthermore, difficulty in recruiting suitably qualified workers has led some Kitas to incentivise foreign workers from countries where the childcare job vacancy supply outstrips demand, utilising Germany’s “skilled worker visa” route.

Driving social change and economic growth

With all this in mind, it is clear how improving Kita pay and conditions not only enhances the lives of its workers, parents and children, but could also drive social change and boost the German economy.

The lack of Kita spaces is preventing some German women from returning to work after childbirth. Although the number of women with children in work is increasing, the figure remains below that of many other developed countries.

Increasing opportunities for women to return to work through access to quality childcare could provide a much-needed boost to the presently stagnating German economy. Furthermore, improved pay and conditions would likely reduce the number of days Kitas are closed, thus enhancing wider labour market productivity.

While the attack in Munich must be unequivocally condemned, and it is critical that we stand in solidarity with all those affected, we must not lose sight of the reasons why Ver.di was demonstrating and the urgent plight of childcare workers across Germany. Kita workers deserve fair pay and better working conditions — this must be addressed now.