Saudi students excel at ISEF 2024, claim nine special awards    Garuda incident has no impact on Hajj pilgrim transport, NTSC says    Saudi Arabia's RGA implements innovative road technology for Hajj season    Russia not seeking Kharkiv capture, claims Putin    Star golfer Scottie Scheffler arrested over alleged assault on police officer    Saudi Arabia joins International Agency for Research on Cancer    French police kill man trying to burn Rouen synagogue    US confirms first aid trucks arrive via Gaza pier    Israel accuses South Africa of false claims at ICJ    Row erupts over portraits of Australia's richest woman    Al-Ittihad's victory drought continues, misses chance to qualify for ACL elite    Al Ittihad CEO frustrated with 'not positive' SPL feedback, announces internal assessment    Saudi Arabia, US forge new pathways in energy cooperation with roadmap    Saudi taekwondo team makes history with first Asian championship golds    Cognite Data Fusion now available on Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia    Franco-Saudi seminar sparks new initiatives in railway and smart mobility development    Crown Prince: Saudi Arabia supports establishment of an internationally recognized Palestine State Security of the Red Sea region highlighted as Arab Summit begins in Manama    British Airways resumes flights to Jeddah after five-year break    Indian spices face heat over global safety concerns    Glioblastoma: Top Australian doctor remains brain cancer-free after a year    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



German childcare centres close in strike over pay and conditions
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 15 - 05 - 2009

Nursery schools across Germany remained closed today, as childcare staff went on strike over pay and work
conditions, according to dpa.
Around 11,000 educators didn't go to work, according to Verdi
trade union, forcing thousands of parents to find alternative
arrangements for their young children.
The strikes affected the states of North Rhine-Westphalia,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Hessen, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, Saarland
and Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The industrial action was to be extended to other states such as
Bavaria and Lower Saxony on Monday, Verdi trade union leader Frank
Bsirske said at a rally in Cologne.
"High work intensity and little personnel define everyday life in
childcare centres," Bsirske said, adding, "The physical and emotional
pressure is high."
The trade unionist said educators were often confronted with noise
levels exceeding 100 decibels.
"That corresponds to the levels of a jet plane," Bsirke added. He
said carers often suffered muscular and skeletal problems resulting
from lifting children.
The federal and regional governments have set ambitious aims for
pre-school nurseries to teach children basic skills, after Germany
ranked poorly in the so-called PISA worldwide test of children's
school performance run by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD).
As a result, politicians are calling for nursery schools to
provide early learning schemes for children of pre-school age,
although many nurseries lack staff and money, and educators say they
are often not trained sufficiently.
By 2013, Germany is also to increase the number of childcare
places, so they are available for more than a third of all children
younger than three.
Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy for
childcare staff. "The increase of childcare provision must be
accompanied by an improvement in quality," the minister said.
"Of course, that costs money," she added in an an interview with
daily Ruhr Nachrichten.
In the city of Ulm, where most childcare centres remained shut,
mayor Ivo Goenner showed little sympathy. "The working conditions of
the educators are far from inhuman," Goenner said.
Reduced tax revenues meant cities and communes could not spend
more money on childcare, Goenner added.
Roughly 2.25 million German children attend nursery schools and
daycare centres. School is compulsory in Germany from the age of 6.


Clic here to read the story from its source.