Verdi, the service‑sector union, announced on Friday that it is calling for a nationwide strike on Monday among employees in municipal public transport. The union’s demand comes amid ongoing wage negotiations with municipal employer associations, where it seeks improved working conditions, including shorter working hours and higher night‑ and weekend‑hour premiums. Close to 100,000 workers in 150 transport companies and bus operators are affected.
Christine Behle, Verdi’s deputy chair, stated that public transport staff are under significant strain due to adverse working hours and shift work. She argued that employers have refused almost every improvement in the previous rounds of talks and have even proposed worsening conditions. Behle warned that such conduct threatens the provision of essential services and the public’s ability to use public transport. Employees in Lower Saxony are exempt from striking due to a peace clause, while the Hamburg Hochbahn will decide later on Friday whether it will join the strike.