Wage dispute: Ver.di calls for nationwide warning strikes on local public transport

Stand: 3:15 pm | Reading time: 2 minutes

PEndler will have to be prepared for warning strikes on local public transport in Germany on Tuesday. The Ver.di union called for work stoppages on this day in order to enforce a national collective bargaining agreement for around 87,000 employees on local public transport, as it announced on Friday. Consequently, employers have so far been hostile to such uniform regulation.

Negotiations are currently taking place on the respective collective agreements in local public transport in the 16 federal states. While this is part of the public service, the union’s demands have nothing to do with the collective bargaining currently taking place there. In the case of public transport, there are sectoral collective agreements. Since, from a union point of view, these have diverged in individual countries over the years, Ver.di now wants to supplement them with regulation at the national level.

“With our demands, we have made suggestions on how the urgent problems of youth talent relief and promotion can be solved,” said Ver.di Federal Vice President Christine Behle. “The fact that employers are not even ready to negotiate mocks employees and thwarts any effort to achieve a traffic change.”

Therefore, there will be work stoppages nationwide next Tuesday. Massive disruptions to local traffic are expected across the country.

Salary dispute in the public service

While the local public transport system is struggling to find a separate agreement, the union and the employer are also currently negotiating in the public sector. Ver.di demands 4.8 per cent more money, at least 150 euros, for a period of twelve months for the 2.3 million collective bargaining employees at the national level of the federal government and municipalities.

Last weekend, the second round of negotiations was unsuccessful. The third round of negotiations is scheduled for October 22 and 23.