German union calls nationwide local transport strike for Feb 27, 28

Germany’s Verdi public sector union has called on local transport workers across the country to stage a strike on February 27 and 28 to raise pressure in negotiations on wages and working conditions, it said on Tuesday.

Talks on a collective wage agreement affect about 150 bus, tram and local train companies with around 100,000 employees in states across Germany, including the cities of Berlin and Hamburg.

The negotiations cover working conditions, specifically working hours and shift work, allowances for night and weekend work, as well as salaries. Exact demands vary from state to state.

“The negotiations are hardly making any progress, even though there have been four rounds in some areas,” said the union’s deputy chair Christine Behle.

“It seems that employers still don’t understand that public transport services cannot continue to function in the long term if we don’t make decisive improvements,” she said.