Residents in six German federal states will face major disruptions to public transport on Friday.
The Ver.di union has announced a warning strike that will affect Baden-Württemberg, Bremen, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
The reason for the strike was a long-running conflict between the union and the employers. Ver.di is demanding an 8 per cent wage increase (at least €350 per month), better working conditions and a reduction in the workload of employees. However, the second round of talks held on Tuesday ended inconclusively – the employers did not submit any proposals.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for March 14-16 in Potsdam. However, the union decided not to wait and resorted to a strike to increase pressure on the employers.
The strike will affect not only bus and tram drivers, but also employees in other areas, including administrations, kindergartens, schools, universities, public utilities, airports, firefighters and police officers. In total, 2.5 million people are affected by the negotiations, making this one of the largest strikes in recent years.
For residents of the six states, this means serious inconvenience: many will be forced to find alternative ways of travelling, which could lead to traffic jams and overcrowded long-distance trains.
Experts say the strike reflects the growing discontent of public sector workers who face high workloads and inadequate pay. In the context of inflation and rising living costs, their demands seem justified, but employers are not yet ready to make concessions.
