German public transport workers go on strike, traffic is paralyzed!
On February 2, a massive German public transport strike forced the closure of bus and tram stops in 80 cities. About 90,000 public transport workers took part in the strike to improve their working conditions. The strike, initiated by the Confederation of Trade Unions (FTU), affected 16 states in addition to Bavaria. While Berlin only declared a strike for 7 hours, public transport in the rest of the country was severely disrupted.
Vidi representatives noted that there is a severe shortage of labor in the public transport sector, and workers are under a lot of pressure. Due to labor shortages, buses and trains are cancelled every day, causing great inconvenience to the public.
In Germany, the strike concerns not only bus employees, but also airport security. On Thursday, a strike by security guards affected about 200,000 passengers, causing about 1,100 flights to be canceled or delayed. This further exacerbated the chaotic state of the bus system.
On the other hand, there is an ongoing debate in Germany about public transport wages. The VIDI union demanded that wages be adjusted in line with the inflation rate and that wages be raised to 3,000 euros (about 3,247 yuan). Employees of the Berlin bus company BVG asked for extended holidays and vacation time, while employees in Brandenburg and other regions demanded a 20% increase in wages.
It is worth noting that this is not the first strike in Germany in recent years. Last week, train drivers also went on strike, paralyzing the national rail system of the European economic powerhouse for five days.
According to experts, these strikes will last longer, become more frequent, and cause more damage to the economy. This will put pressure on the already weak German economy. Marcel Flach, director of the German Institute for Economic Research, told Al Jazeera:"The German economy shrank last year and barely grew this year, so the strike could not have come at a better time.
Notably, the strike was supported by environmental groups, including youth and climate change organizations"Days to come"。They expressed support for public transport workers to strike to ensure climate and transport emissions reduction targets are met. At the same time, they also emphasized the need to pay attention to the working environment of employees.
Not only did the strike affect public transport, many commuters also chose to drive or cycle to work. According to data published by the Federal Statistical Office in 2022, 40% of bus and tram drivers are over the age of 55, while the average age of employees in the transport sector is also significantly higher than the average age of employees in Germany, with 26% over 55.