National strike in public transport in Germany at the end of the week

The Verdi union representing public sector workers in Germany yesterday called on public transport workers to organize a national strike on February 27 and 28 to increase pressure on employers during annual negotiations on wages and working conditions, AFP reports, according to Agerpres.

"In many municipal public transport companies, no buses or trams will run on Friday," and the union action will be extended until Saturday "in many sectors," according to a press release published by Verdi.

Around 150 bus, tram and regional train companies are again called to strike, hoping to mobilize around 100,000 employees.

This will be the second national strike organized in public transport in Germany in February. In the first strike, which lasted 24 hours in early February, public transport was "completely stopped” by more than 100 companies and disrupted in dozens of others, Verdi said.

The effects will be "similar in most regions of the country” on Friday and Saturday, the union said, which began talks with municipal employers' organizations in November 2025.

"The negotiations are making almost no progress, even though there have been four rounds in some areas. It seems that employers still do not understand that public transport services cannot continue to operate in the long term if we do not make improvements,” said Verdi vice president Christine Behle.

Employee representatives are demanding, in particular, a reduction in weekly working hours, longer rest periods and more generous bonuses for night and weekend work. In some German states, there is also talk of an average wage increase of around 10%.

In January, warning strikes were organized in Germany that also affected other parts of the public sector, universities, schools, institutions, to protest against staff shortages and the decrease in purchasing power.