Whether by car, train, plane or ship, whether near or far: the union warning strike, which will take place in Germany on Monday, will paralyze almost all public transport. The ver.di union and the railway and transport union (EVG) want to fight for higher wages.
In connection with their respective collective bargaining disputes, they called for shutdowns in the railway sector, at airports, on rivers and in municipal ports, as well as local public transport in seven German federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony) onwards. In ten other federal states, truck driving bans were relaxed or lifted on Sunday. Some transports can be brought forward by a day.
Munich Airport is already on strike on Sunday
Scheduled flight operations at Munich Airport were already stopped on Sunday. Ver.di had called for warning strikes in baggage handling and security services until Monday. Because of a computer glitch, around 40 flights had to be canceled on Saturday night. The real alert strikes on Monday affect almost all German airports, but not the capital’s airport BER.
According to information from Vienna Airport, all twelve flights between Munich and Vienna were canceled on Sunday. At least 66 flights were affected at Schwechat Airport on Monday – more on that at noe.ORF.at. Graz Airport is canceling 16 flights – more on that at steiermark.ORF.at. There are also flights to and from Germany that could be affected by strikes in Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz and Klagenfurt. Salzburg Airport will likely become the alternate airport, some charter and scheduled flights will be diverted to Salzburg – more on that at salzburg.ORF.at.
All travelers are advised to check with their airline or tour operator regarding their air travel. As most passengers have already been informed in advance by the airlines, no particular effects are expected on Vienna Airport’s terminal operations over the two days, an airport spokesman said.
Shuttle service across the German corner
Effects are also expected on domestic rail traffic. All train connections through the German corner are affected. A shuttle service will be arranged every two hours. Trips can take up to three hours longer. Trains to and from Germany will be shortened or cancelled.
All RJ and RJX connections scheduled to cross the German corner terminate and begin at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof or Kufstein. There is a shuttle service between Wörgl and Salzburg – more about that at salzburg.ORF. in. ÖBB recommended postponing travel to and from Germany.
AP/Matthias Schrader Numerous air connections have been canceled
Tickets booked for a trip to Germany during the strike can be canceled and refunded free of charge if the trip does not take place. The train connection for Sparschiene tickets valid during the strike period and until 23.3. acquired is considered revoked. Individual night train connections were already affected on Sunday night. Some of the restrictions on night train services will last longer. For all night trains affected by cancellations or partial cancellations due to the strike, tickets can also be canceled and refunded free of charge.
Harsh reviews of “hostage”
There have never been warning strikes on this scale in Germany. Both unions want to increase pressure on employers. Ver.di and the public servants association DBB will meet on Monday for the third round of negotiations for some 2.5 million civil servants with federal and local government representatives. The two sides are still distant in their ideas, but an agreement in the coming days is not ruled out.
Strike will disrupt traffic
In Germany, public buses, trains, planes and ships are stopped on Monday. With the 24-hour warning strikes, unions want to put pressure on wage negotiations. The effects will also be very noticeable in Austria.
Prior to that, there were harsh criticisms from employers, municipalities and the Union of Unions on Sunday. Deutsche Bahn called the EVG strike “completely exaggerated, unfounded and unnecessary”. The Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA) accused unions of “throwing away any credibility”. The economic policy spokesperson for the Union faction in the German Bundestag, Julia Klöckner (CDU), said that “serious negotiations are needed, but not all citizens will be hostages of a mega-strike”.
Ver.di boss Frank Werneke defended the attack in “BamS”. This only works “if it sends an unmistakable signal”. “It’s better to have a day when nothing happens in Germany and then a wage deal that is acceptable to employees, than failure and weeks of discussions as a result, which in the end will affect the population much more.”