Interview with Helga Kanda, gardener in the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy
What does your day-to-day work look like?
I am a gardener at the BCP faculty and am responsible for laboratory plants, setting up experiments and carrying out routine tasks in the plant physiology greenhouses. My activities include, for example, growing plants, mixing soil, fertilizing and plant protection measures. In consultation with researchers, we devise and implement experiments, which sometimes involves hammering, drilling and sawing. I also monitor the climate control system in our modern greenhouse facility and set new parameters. In discussions with students and research assistants, we try to find the best solution for the problems that need to be overcome. As the plants also need to be cared for at the weekend, we also work on Saturdays and Sundays. Unfortunately, there have been difficulties in the past with the payment of supplements for these shifts.
What were the difficulties?
If we are required to do overtime on weekends and public holidays, we are entitled to a mandated overtime supplement as well as a supplement for working on weekends and public holidays. For years, contrary to the binding collective bargaining agreement, only one of these supplements was paid. This resulted in considerable wage losses.
Was it possible to achieve an improvement?
Through persistent enquiry, with reference to the wording of our collective agreement as well as strong counter-arguments with the support of the staff council, and after a long period of to-ing and fro-ing, my remuneration was back-paid for the legally required half year.
What has been done about the wage demands that are more than half a year old? What do you think needs to be improved?
In my opinion, the FU should rethink the way it deals with the affected employees; there is still room for improvement. My letters to senior management in the HR department and the Director of Administration and Finance were never answered. There was no word of regret or apology. When it became known in the Department of Veterinary Medicine that the collectively agreed supplement had not been paid, there was a decision by the Executive Board stating that lost salary components would be paid retroactively for three years. I would like to see the same for the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy.
Information on the new election of the Dahlem staff council
The elections will take place from April 23rd. until May 10, 2024.