The Verdi union has called for all-day warning strikes in local public transport in almost all federal states next Friday. “Since collective bargaining has now taken place in all federal states and has not produced any results, now is the time to put more pressure on employers,” said Verdi’s deputy federal chairwoman, Christine Behle, in Berlin.
Passengers will once again face significant restrictions this Friday, especially in rush hour traffic. It was only this Monday that the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) prematurely ended its multi-day strike at Deutsche Bahn. A peace obligation now applies there until March 3rd. However, Verdi labor disputes are still possible in local and regional transport.
Except in Bavaria, the union is negotiating in parallel with the municipal employers’ associations in all federal states about new collective agreements for public transport employees. According to Verdi, more than 130 municipal companies in cities and districts as well as a total of 90,000 employees are affected by the collective bargaining round. During the first round of negotiations last week, no solution was reached in any region.
Negotiations are taking place in all affected federal states at the same time. In terms of content, however, the demands are very different. In most countries it is about the so-called collective agreements. Above all, they regulate the working conditions for employees. At the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), for example, Verdi is demanding, among other things, longer turning times, holiday pay and more vacation. “The burden on employees and the staff shortage in public transport have increased more and more, the work pressure is getting greater and greater,” the union announced a few days ago. “So solutions must be found quickly to bring about relief.”
Things are more complicated in Brandenburg, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. This is also about remuneration, i.e. higher wages and salaries. In Brandenburg, Verdi wants to get 20 percent, or at least 650 euros, more for local transport workers. The term of the collective agreement should be twelve months.
The warning strike is supported by the environmental movement Fridays for Future. “We all need reliable local transport that allows us to get to work, the club or home safely and cheaply,” said spokeswoman Darya Sotoodoh on Monday.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since it was first published.
