The Ver.di service workers' union called for a “warning strike,” a common tactic in German contract negotiations, on Monday.
Its deputy chair, Christine Behle, said that “the time has now come to exert more pressure on employers” as talks on new pay contracts for about 90,000 people employed by over 130 local transport operators have failed to make progress.
In Berlin, workers with the local transport authority walked off the job until 10 a.m.; in Hamburg, Cologne, Hannover and elsewhere, the strike was to last all day.
The dispute centers on demands for better working conditions, such as a shorter working week and extra compensation days for shift and night work.
Coinciding contract negotiations in the rail, airport and local transport sectors have made for a frustrating few weeks for German travers and commuters.
Persons:
Christine Behle, ”, German travers, Ver.di
Organizations:
BERLIN, —
Locations:
Germany, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Hannover, Bavaria