The German federal government said it would not comment on the nationwide strike in public transport that caused major mobility disruptions on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Labour told the dts news agency that wage negotiations – and therefore the right to strike – are handled by the social partners and are constitutionally protected from state interference. “There is collective‑bargaining autonomy. We do not interfere, so we do not comment on it” the official said.
Earlier this year Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had repeatedly argued that Germany should work more overall. In contrast, the union Verdi is demanding a reduction of weekly working hours and shorter shift lengths in the current negotiations.
Deputy government spokesperson Steffen Meyer does not see a connection between the two: “The discussion we are having is simply about increasing Germany’s overall work volume” he explained. “That is entirely independent of the respect we have for what workers do day‑by‑day”.