Strikes "paralyze" transport in Germany - Services expected to resume on Sunday morning
Public transport buses and trams have launched a strike in almost all German federal states since the early hours of the morning, after employees supported a decision by the public sector union Verdi.
The union aims to gain influence in negotiations covering working conditions, specifically working hours and shifts, payments for night and weekend work, and wages. The exact demands vary from state to state, and Baden-Wuerttemberg and Lower Saxony were not affected by the strike.
Talks over a collective wage agreement affect around 150 bus, tram and local train companies with around 100,000 employees across Germany, including Berlin and Hamburg.
Buses, trams and metro trains are expected to remain suspended for 48 hours, with services scheduled to resume only with the start of operations on Sunday morning.
In most regions, very few buses, trams or underground trains are expected to operate. However, in Lower Saxony, the obligation not to strike remains in force until the end of March.
Long rail strikes by the GDL train drivers' union have been averted after national rail operator Deutsche Bahn and the union reached a new collective agreement overnight. The union had presented a list of 40 demands, including a pay rise of up to 8% for its members.
If the latest round of talks had failed, train drivers would have been free to go on strike as early as March. That could have led to widespread travel chaos for passengers already fed up with the poor reliability of rail service.
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