German public transport strike enters second day

Public transport workers across most of Germany entered a second day of nationwide strikes on Saturday, with local buses, trams and underground services largely suspended in many regions.

The industrial action, launched by the powerful Verdi trade union on Friday morning, has brought local transport in most federal states to a near standstill. The two-day walkout is set to continue in most regions until late Saturday night and could continue into the early hours of Sunday.

Workers in the states of Lower Saxony and Baden-Wuerttemberg are not taking part.

In the ongoing labour negotiations – conducted with municipal employers’ associations in each state – Verdi is pushing to improve working conditions, including shorter weekly hours, longer rest periods and higher bonuses for night and weekend work.

In some states, negotiations are also focused on wage increases.

The strike marks the second nationwide action in an ongoing round of labour negotiations. During the previous strike on February 2, local public transport in large parts of Germany came to an almost complete standstill.

According to Verdi, the talks have made little headway recently, with employers likewise complaining about a lack of progress. It remains unclear when a deal might be reached.