Warning strikes on local public transport began on Friday morning in several German federal states. Among other things, the subways and trams in Frankfurt remained in stations, Thomas Heimbürger from the Verdi trade union told the German Press Agency. Warning strikes were also started in other Hessian towns. Overall, there must be massive deficiencies in local bus and rail transport in six federal states.
15,000 strikers expected
In addition to Hesse, the main areas affected are North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony, Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate. There, for example, in the state capital of Mainz, buses and trams stopped at stations, as Marko Bärschneider from the Verdi trade union put it. The warning strike started when individual companies started operating between 3am and 4am. According to a Verdi spokesman, the warning attack also started in North Rhine-Westphalia at night. At least 15,000 strikers are expected across the country. In Baden-Württemberg, numerous buses and trains stopped in more than half a dozen cities.
The action will take place alongside climate activists Fridays for Future, who called for protests for more climate protection on Friday. In Lower Saxony, for example, but also in Munich, there were severe restrictions on local public transport on Thursday. In Bavaria, Verdi wants to extend warning strikes to other regions and cities on Friday. Many citizens have been feeling the effects of warning strikes in the public sector for weeks now. Verdi and the Association of Public Servants dbb want to reinforce their demands in the current salary round of municipalities and the federal government.
Demand for 10.5% more income
Negotiations for the estimated 2.5 million federal and local employees have been difficult since they began in January. Verdi and the dbb employees’ association demand 10.5 percent more income, but at least 500 euros more per month. In the second round of negotiations, last week, despite an offer from the bosses, there was still no rapprochement. The third, and probably crucial, round is scheduled for the end of March. Verdi boss Frank Werneke had already said a vote on a regular strike was “on the agenda” if the third round did not bring a breakthrough.
There are likely to be significant outages in many cities. In the southwest, for example, Stuttgart, Freiburg, Mannheim, Heilbronn, Ulm, Esslingen, Konstanz, Baden-Baden and Karlsruhe are affected. In Stuttgart, however, there are S-Bahn trains because they are operated by Deutsche Bahn.
Buses and trains must also stop in the largest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to Verdi, the focus will be on the Ruhr region and the Rhineland, but employees also want to leave their jobs in Münsterland and East Westphalia.
strong reviews
Violent criticism of Verdi came from the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA). They accused the union of its cooperation with Fridays for Future. This is “a dangerous border crossing,” said BDA chief executive Steffen Kampeter of the German Press Agency in Berlin. “Strikes are allowed to reach collective agreements that regulate working conditions.” But anyone mixing labor disputes and general political goals quickly finds themselves on a playing field beyond German collective bargaining autonomy. Political or quasi-political strikes are illegal in Germany.