HEALTH workers in Germany began a two-day strike today to demand an inflation-proofed pay rise.

Hospitals, emergency services, psychiatric clinics and care facilities are all affected by the action.

Union Ver.di said the “warning” strike would send a shot across the government’s bows ahead of new pay talks starting on March 27. 

Its members have rejected an offer from federal and state governments of 3 per cent this year, 2 per cent next year and a tax-free unconsolidated €2,500 (£2,200) spread over the two years. 

Consumer price index inflation in Germany is currently 8.7 per cent. Ver.di is calling for a 10.5 per cent raise or a minimum of €500 (£440) extra per month.

Healthcare workers warn that without serious investment the sector could collapse. 

Soaring energy prices caused by US and EU sanctions on Russia, Germany’s main supplier prior to its invasion of Ukraine last year, are estimated to drive the energy costs of an average medium-sized hospital up by €6 million (£5.3m) this year. Two in five hospitals say they face insolvency and 96 per cent admit they cannot meet expenditure from current revenues.

Socialists warn that the response from the so-called “traffic light” coalition of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats amounts to a serious attack on public healthcare. 

These include promotion of outpatient care that unions say is a ruse to cut jobs and beds, and centralisation of specialised services in fewer, bigger hospitals. 

Ver.di says there has been an increase in co-payments and extra contributions: “Citizens have to bear more and more healthcare costs themselves. And fewer and fewer nurses have to care for more and more sick people.”

Berlin’s determination to cut health spending stands in marked contrast to its pledge of €100 billion (£90bn) more for military expenditure made last year.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach clashed with state governments on Monday, with Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein saying they have commissioned legal advice on the constitutionality of his reform plans, which would dramatically shake up the way hospitals and clinics are paid for treating patients and arguably incentivise premature discharging of seriously ill people.