August M
A long-running dispute between German municipalities and public transport unions has intensified as talks over pay and working conditions remain deadlocked. At the heart of the conflict are budget pressures faced by cities and union claims that staff are being pushed to work longer and less predictable hours.
The standoff has now entered a critical phase, with unions warning that disruptions will continue unless employers change course.
Talks break down
According to Reuters, negotiations between trade union Verdi and municipal and state employers stalled last week. Verdi represents nearly 100,000 workers in local transport and says proposals on the table would worsen conditions rather than improve them.
Union leaders accuse cities of trying to cut benefits and extend shifts while offering little compensation.
Employers, for their part, argue that tight public finances limit their ability to raise pay or shorten working hours.
The next formal round of talks has been scheduled for February 9.
Union demands
Verdi is seeking shorter shifts, longer rest periods and higher pay for night and weekend work.
The union says these changes are necessary to make jobs in public transport sustainable and to address staff shortages.
In Berlin, Verdi negotiators said operators wanted workers to help fund improvements by giving up benefits such as sick pay and flexible working hours, a proposal the union rejected outright.
Serat Canyurt, Verdi’s lead negotiator, told rbb radio that employers would need to return to the table with serious concessions.
Nationwide action
Against this backdrop, Verdi called coordinated industrial action across the country. The walkout involves around 150 municipal transport companies in 15 of Germany’s 16 federal states, including major urban centres such as Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.
Reuters described the strike as one of the largest coordinated actions in the local transport sector in years.
Public impact
Only after the strike began did its effects become visible to the wider public. Bus and tram services were halted in many cities, forcing commuters to seek alternative ways to travel as temperatures fell below zero in parts of the country.
Deutsche Bahn said its S-Bahn urban rail services and long-distance trains were operating as normal, as those workers are not represented by Verdi.
What comes next
Union leaders have warned that further industrial action is likely if the February 9 talks fail to deliver progress. With positions still far apart, Germany’s local transport networks could face repeated disruption in the weeks ahead.
Sources: Reuters
