On May 26th some members of staff presented the management with a letter where they protested against decreased salaries for those employed in after-school activities (ger. “Hort”). Those primarily affected by this were all women. Parts of the teaching-staff made common cause with them.

The next day, May 27th, the “Hort”-staff had a meeting with the bosses where they were told that the offer still stood and that they had to decide whether to take it or leave it by 12 o’clock on Friday the 30th of May.

Then something odd happened: the next day, May 28th, the entire school staff received their termination notices. Some of them weren’t even told in person, but received a telephone call, telling them that their termination notices had been sent them as a registered letter.

The staff were told they should apply for their jobs again.

FAU Berlin’s members at the work place have no employment contracts. One of them has worked there without a contract for four years, the other one for three years.

We consider this to be a very serious situation, as it means that there will be no room for negotiation about conditions, salaries and work hours during the re-hiring process. We ask ourselves if these terminations are a way of getting rid of critical voices at the work place.

FAU Berlin has offered the school a chance to negotiate until the 4th of June. Otherwise legal and union action will follow.

“Victoriaförsamlingen” (Church of Sweden in Berlin) is the owner (ger. “Träger”) of the Swedish School in Berlin. The CEO of the school is called Lena Brolin and is also the rector of the parish.