
Many German cities and municipalities will face public transport disruptions on Monday after the Ver.di labor union called on workers to strike over shorter working hours and higher bonuses.
“Public transport employees are under a lot of stress due to extremely unfavorable working hours, shift work, and constant time pressure,” Christine Behle, the union’s deputy chairwoman, said in a statement published on Ver.di’s website over the weekend. “We urgently need improvements here in order to stop the high turnover rate and once again find reliable skilled workers for public transport.”
READ MORE: Months of German rail strikes end with wage agreement
Collective bargaining talks are ongoing across Germany’s 16 federal states, with Ver.di, the country’s second-largest union, pressing for improved working conditions. Its demands include reduced weekly hours and shorter shifts, extended rest periods, and higher bonuses for night and weekend work.
In Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Saarland and Thuringia, wage and salary increases are currently being negotiated as well.
READ MORE: Public transport across Germany disrupted as workers strike
The dispute involves almost 100,000 employees in 150 municipal transport and bus companies, according to Ver.di. The strike doesn’t affect intercity train connections run by state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG.
