Some 12,000 teachers and educators went on strike across Germany on Thursday to call for a significant pay rise.

School teachers, university lecturers and other workers in the education sector took to the streets in five major cities including Berlin, teachers’ union GEW said.

Unions are demanding a 7% pay raise, with a minimum increase of €300 ($358) per month, for teachers and other educational workers employed by Germany’s federal states.

Some 3,500 workers protested in Berlin, with another 3,000 taking to the streets in Leipzig and 2,500 demonstrating in Hamburg, according to GEW.

Further strike action is expected until the third round of wage negotiations scheduled for February 11-13.

dpa