The service union Verdi has called for strikes in municipal public transport on the upcoming Thursday in several German states.
Bavaria, the Saarland, Brandenburg, North Rhine‑Westphalia and Hamburg are slated for a complete shutdown of most local transport operators, the union announced on Monday. Whether a strike will also take place in Hessen and Bremen is still to be decided.
Verdi says this is the third joint industrial action linked to the nationwide wage negotiations, in which working conditions for nearly 100,000 employees across 150 companies are being negotiated. Christine Behle, Verdi’s vice chair, noted that in many states the talks are still at the beginning and urgent solutions are required. In Schleswig‑Holstein and Baden‑Wurttemberg a wage settlement has already been reached.
The union has put forward specific demands in each state, including shorter weekly working hours, reduced shift times, and higher premiums for night and weekend work. The goal is to lessen workers’ burdens, curb the high turnover in the sector, and secure public transport as an essential public service.