Unlimited strike at BVG? Verdi union announces steps!

Unlimited strike at BVG? Verdi union announces steps!

Rotes Rathaus, Berlin, Deutschland - The tariff conflict of the Berlin Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) opens up. The Verdi trade union considers a failure of the talks to be possible and has announced a pre -vote on permanent strikes if there is no agreement on Friday. The dispute is primarily about the basic salary of around 16,000 employees.

Sven Globig, member of the Verdi tariff commission, expressed that no negotiable offer for the negotiations is expected. Verdi negotiator Jeremy Arndt said that a serious offer from the employer was necessary to find a solution. At least with other points such as the allowances and the term there are already approaches to agreement.

current warning strikes and their effects

As part of the collective bargaining, Verdi called on warning strikes since Wednesday morning. These affect the subways, trams and most buses in Berlin and are scheduled for 48 hours. The campaign ends on Friday at 3 a.m., the time of the sixth round of negotiations. On the streets of Berlin there were long traffic jams, especially on main roads.

While the warning strike is running, S-Bahn and regional trains continue to run because they are operated by Deutsche Bahn or other companies. Additional S-Bahn lines S1 and S5 are planned for the period between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. However, certain bus lines are only available to a limited extent, which affects the mobility of many Berliners.

background of the collective bargaining

The BVG has submitted a salary offer of 13.6% over 24 months, which Verdi assessed as inadequate. Instead, union representatives request a monthly increase of 750 euros and higher layer allowances and a significantly shorter term of 12 months.

The pressure on the negotiations increases, since the end of the talks on Friday could actually take the end of permanent strikes. In order for such a vote to be successful, at least 75% of the members would have to agree.

strikes in Germany: A look at the numbers

strikes are rare in Germany, but are often proclaimed after failed collective bargaining. In 2023, an average of 1,000 employees were reported as lost due to strikes, which is an increase compared to 2022. Most failure days were registered in particular in the area of ​​trade, transport and hospitality, which underlines the importance and urgency of the current negotiations.

While employer and employee representatives in Germany have traditionally striven to find consensus, repeated strikes often show dissatisfaction with working conditions. The results of the negotiations and the behavior of Verdi and the BVG will be decisive in this context.

Manuel von Stubenrauch, member of the collective bargaining commission, emphasizes that a match could be necessary to build up pressure. BVG HR head of HR Zeller-Grothe, meanwhile, demands that the union find compromises and move to avoid escalation of the situation.

The upcoming negotiations are therefore crucial-both for the future of BVG employees and for mobility in Berlin.