Another Round of Public Sector and Transport Strikes Disrupts Germany
German Trade Union ver.di Calls for New Public Sector Strikes Amid Pay Disputes
Germany faces another wave of public sector strikes as trade union ver.di urges workers across multiple federal states to take industrial action in response to ongoing pay negotiations.
Expanded Public Sector Strikes Across Germany
On February 25, employees in various essential sectors—including childcare facilities (Kitas), waste collection, public transport, and local administration—will participate in the strike. The walkouts will impact services in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Saxony-Anhalt, Bavaria, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Bremen. Additionally, in Berlin, workers from the city’s waste collection service, Berliner Stadtreinigung, are set to strike on Tuesday.
This latest round of industrial action follows recent strikes at airports in Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf, as well as public transport walkouts across six federal states last week. Sporadic strike action is expected to continue until the next negotiation round between ver.di and government representatives on March 14.
Ver.di is advocating for an 8% salary increase or a minimum pay rise of €350 per month, along with three additional days of paid leave.
Munich Airport to Face 48-Hour Strike
In addition to the public sector strikes, ver.di has called on employees at Munich Airport to take part in a 48-hour strike from midnight on Wednesday to midnight on Friday.
Munich Airport has warned of "significant disruptions" to operations, with 830 flights scheduled during the strike period. Passengers are advised to check their flight status regularly and avoid coming to the airport if their flight is canceled.
Under EU law, passengers whose flights are canceled are entitled to a full refund or rebooking. Compensation for delayed flights depends on the length of the delay.