Das Streikverbot für Beamte und das Streikrecht aus Art. 11 EMRK im Konflikt

1. The recognition of the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike for public officials will inevitably stimulate the debate on the reform of the public service law and that on the law for public officials in Germany. Art. 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) demands the incorporation of the right to strike for public officials insofar as the specific characteristics of the national law do not call for a different evaluation. A general ban on strikes can be maintained in German law, if the scope of protection of Art. 11 ECHR is interpreted narrowly, as is proposed in this article. It will, however, be necessary to intensify the participation of public officials' associations, in order to avoid a violation of Art. 11 para. 1 ECHR. 2. Provided the European Court of Human Rights should regard the current German civil service law as inconsistent with the Convention, the permanent civil service (officialdom) in Germany has to be limited to parts of public service where such a ban can be justified on the basis of Art. 11 para. 2 ECHR. Restricting the reform to the abolishment of the ban of striking would lead to an unjustified discrimination on non civil servants that are employed in the public service sector. This discrimination would constitute a violation of the principle of equality – Art. 3 para. 1 – in the German constitution. If, however, Germany were to limit public officials to certain sectors of public service, there should be no need for a revision or an amendment of Art. 33 para. 5 of the German constitution.