Winter warning: Strike affects road operations in Stade on January 20th!

Winter warning: Strike affects road operations in Stade on January 20th!

All eyes are on January 20th, because then a warning strike by road maintenance departments will take place in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Bremen. This is announced by kreiszeitung-wochenblatt.de, with winter service on federal and state roads in particular being affected. Road users should prepare for possible delays and exercise caution when using the roads.

The situation is not without challenges, as clearing and gritting work in particular could be restricted on the day of the strike. The road wardens who ensure road safety will join the protest, although the exact number of those involved is currently unclear. In Lower Saxony, around 1,200 employees work in 56 road maintenance departments, which together are responsible for around 16,200 kilometers of federal, state and district roads as well as 9,200 kilometers of cycle paths.

Winter service under pressure

The involvement of road maintenance departments is particularly important given the winter conditions. The current winter service aims to keep the roads grippy even in adverse weather conditions. Around 52,000 tons of spreading material were already used in winter 2022/23. For comparison: In the winter of 2012/13 it was a whopping 145,000 tonnes, while in the mild winter of 2018/19 only 44,000 tonnes were needed.

But the upcoming warning strike has already left its mark. While the Verdi union is mobilizing workers to underline the demand for a 10.5 percent wage increase and further financial improvements for young talent, it remains to be seen how the traffic situation will develop. Fortunately, the police have reported traffic chaos so far, which has given drivers some breathing space.

Negotiation pressure on the street

Some private clearance services are already active to carry out the necessary work, although these usually require more time. The union informs that similar restrictions can also be expected in the surrounding federal states on the day of the strike. The collective negotiations affect around 1.1 million employees and 1.4 million civil servants and, as a highlight, a third round of negotiations is scheduled for December 7th.

In conclusion, it remains to be said that the upcoming warning strike creates an uncertain situation for both drivers and the responsible authorities. It must be clear to everyone involved that this is not just a protest, but also intended to raise awareness of the challenges in winter service. In any case, it's now time to keep a cool head and get through the coming days as well as possible.