Public transport walkout disrupts Germany

Public transport workers across Germany staged a warning strike on Friday, bringing public transport to a standstill in many cities.

The move follows major strikes by German railway and airport workers in recent weeks.

Collective bargaining has so far been unsuccessful, according to union Verdi, which has mobilized around 90,000 public transport workers employed by over 130 municipal companies to press for improved working conditions. Negotiations are taking place in all the country's federal states, Verdi said in a statement.

"We have a dramatic shortage of public transport workers and they are under incredible pressure," said Verdi's Deputy Chairperson Christine Behle. "Buses and trams are canceled every day because there is not enough staff."

The union is demanding a reduction in weekly working hours, an increase in vacation entitlement, and additional days off after shifts and night work, Verdi said.

Parliamentary group leader of the Green party, Katharina Droege, has been supportive of the strike. Public transport workers are the "everyday climate heroes," she wrote on X. "With their work, they ensure that millions of people can travel every day in a climate-friendly way and at affordable prices."

Friday's strike is part of a series of ongoing wage negotiations in Germany. Last weekend, Deutsche Bahn was again affected by a multi-day strike by train drivers. On Thursday, 11 airports in the country were hit by a one-day warning strike by aviation security staff.

Last year, there were "more disputes than ever before," according to an analysis of 20 sectors by the German Economic Institute, using data from 2010 until now. Wage negotiations "escalated to an unprecedented level," the institute said.