SOCIETYGERMANY
Germany: Public transport workers launch nationwide strike
15 minutes ago15 minutes ago
Buses and trams across the country ground to a halt, as labor union Verdi urges better working conditions. In addition, ground staff at Hamburg Airport are also taking part in industrial action, canceling some flights.
https://p.dw.com/p/4bwqU
A worker in the western German city of Essen sticks a poster with the word “strike” over a tram in its depot
Trams and buses are a necessary means of transportation for many Germans, as much of the population does not own a carImage: Fabian Strauch/dpa/picture alliance
Local public transport workers in Germany began a fresh 24-hour strike early Friday, posing a nightmare for morning commuters and travelers.
The industrial action backed by Labor union Verdi has prompted the cancelation of buses and trams in all German federal states, except for Bavaria.
Verdi is urging better working conditions for public transport employees, among other demands. Verdi is negotiating with transit authorities amid the industrial action.
Meanwhile, ground staff at Hamburg Airport have also been called by Verdi to strike. This has canceled some flights at the airport in Germany’s second-biggest city, although operations remain mostly normal for now.
The strike at Hamburg Airport comes after security staff at German airports across the country stopped working on Thursday. In addition to Hamburg, Frankfurt, Bremen, Berlin, Leipzig, Cologne/Bonn and other cities were impacted, disrupting travel for over 200,000 passengers.
Yesterday’s airport strike, however, did not impact Munich and Nuremberg airports. Security employees there are in the public sector, and adhere to a different union contract than other airports.
wd/rt (Reuters, dpa)
