Warning: Areas where public transport will strike tomorrow
Germany will face widespread disruption to local public transport on Monday as a 24-hour warning strike begins at 3 a.m. The union Ver.di says buses and trams could largely come to a standstill across most federal states.
The strike has been called because transport workers face heavy strain from shift work, long hours, and constant time pressure. Ver.di deputy chairwoman كريستينه بهله said working conditions must improve to reduce staff turnover and attract skilled workers, adding that employers have so far refused to make meaningful concessions.
Around 100,000 employees from about 150 municipal transport and bus companies are expected to take part. Only workers in Lower Saxony are excluded due to an existing peace obligation. In some cities, limited services may continue where buses are operated by subcontractors not covered by the dispute.
Not all rail services will stop. S-Bahn and regional trains operated by Deutsche Bahn will continue to run in major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne, Nuremberg, and the Rhine-Main region. Long-distance trains will also operate normally. In Berlin, trams will run without passengers to prevent overhead power lines from freezing in the extreme cold.
The union is demanding shorter working weeks and shifts, longer rest periods, and higher bonuses for night and weekend work. In several states, higher wages are also part of the dispute. Ver.di warned that if talks remain stalled, further and tougher strikes could follow, risking long-term damage to public transport services.