On February 2, Germany's public transport system experienced a massive strike that brought bus and tram stops to a standstill in 80 cities. Some 90,000 public transport workers took to the streets to strike with the aim of improving working conditions. The labor union Verdi launched the strike action, which covered all 16 states except Bavaria. Although only a short seven-hour strike was announced in Berlin, public transport in other areas was also severely affected.
The strike was aimed at improving working conditions, shortening working hours and increasing holiday entitlements. The representative of the Verdi union said that the public transport sector is facing a severe labor shortage and a huge work pressure on employees. Bus and train lines are cancelled every day due to lack of manpower, causing great inconvenience to the public.
Not only public transport workers went on strike, but also security personnel at German airports. On Thursday, a strike by security personnel affected about 200,000 travelers, causing about 1,100 flights to be canceled or delayed. This further exacerbates the chaos in the public transport system.
In addition, salary negotiations for public transport are underway across Germany. The Verdi union demanded a one-time payment of 3,000 euros (about $3,247) to adjust for inflation. Workers at BVG, Berlin's transport agency, are demanding more holidays and longer breaks, while workers in other regions, such as Brandenburg, are demanding a 20 percent increase in wages.
It is worth noting that this is not the first strike action in Germany in recent times. Train drivers also went on strike last week, bringing the national rail system of Europe's largest economy to a near standstill for five days.
Experts say these strikes are growing in duration and frequency, and the economic costs will rise significantly. This is a headwind for the German economy, which is already in a weak state. Marcel Fracher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research, said in an interview with Al Jazeera: "The German economy contracted last year and has barely grown this year, so this strike came very untimely. ”
It is worth mentioning that the strike was supported by environmental groups including youth and the climate movement Days for Future. They said that supporting the public transport workers' strike is to ensure that the climate goals of the transport sector are met and emissions are reduced. At the same time, they also stressed the importance of paying attention to the working conditions of their employees.
The strike has not only caused trouble for the public to get around, many commuters have turned to cars or bicycles to get to work. According to the 2022 Federal Statistical Office, 40% of bus and tram drivers are over 55 years old, and the average age of employees in the transport sector is significantly higher than the average age of all employees in Germany, and more than 26% of employees are over 55 years old.