Warning strike in Südbaden: 400 bus drivers demand higher wages!

Warning strike in Südbaden: 400 bus drivers demand higher wages!

in Lahr, in the Ortenaukreis, brews something! On Thursday, around 400 employees of the Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehr GmbH (SWEG) gathered for an impressive rally. This massive demonstration was part of a two -day warning strike organized by the service union ver.di. Many buses and trains in Südbaden have been standing since Wednesday, such as SWR reported .

The reasons for this uprising are clear: the employees require a salary increase of 350 euros per month retrospectively from October and an inflation compensation of 1,300 euros. Gabriele Fieback from ver.di Südbaden-Schwarzwald said that these claims should be underpinned during the ongoing collective bargaining. The working conditions of the bus drivers and train drivers are increasingly stressful, and many of them are fighting to make ends meet.

The votes of those affected

Among the demonstrators was Michael Mannig, a bus driver who spoke openly about his worries. "At the end of the month, the money is enough, even though my wife and I work full -time," he complained. His dark forecast for the pension, which could be only 1,100 euros, makes the situation even more worrying. "We need a wage increase," emphasized Wolfgang Heumann, the works council chairman for Wiesloch and Sinsheim. "The cost of living is increasing and working conditions are becoming increasingly difficult," he added.

The strike involvement is extremely high in South Baden. On Wednesday, around 100 SWeg employees had already gathered in Lahr, and the situation remains tense. The ver.di union not only calls for a wage increase, but also an inflation compensation, since the employer side offered only an increase of three percent from April 2025 and an inflation compensation of 600 euros - a proposal that ver.di perceives as completely inadequate.

public transport paralyzed

The effects of the warning strike are clearly noticeable: many buses and lanes remain in the depots, and the population is badly affected. The warning strikes are part of a larger conflict in local public transport that also affects other regions in Baden-Württemberg. In October, ver.di called for a warning strike at SWEW and the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), which also led to significant failures, such as Tagesschau reported .

The next round of negotiation is already at the corner: On Monday, November 11th, the talks will continue. The employees hope that their voices will be heard and that they receive the urgently needed support to improve their quality of life and to cope with the challenges of everyday work.