North Rhine-Westphalia transport strikes: Which services are affected?
On Tuesday and Wednesday, public transport passengers in Germany's most populous state can once again expect considerable restrictions on trams, the U-Bahn and buses.
Around 30 municipal transport companies in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are taking part in the warning strike, which was called on late last week by the trade union Verdi. One major exception is the Aachen-based transport company ASEAG, which is covered by a company collective agreement.
The strike is set to end by Thursday. Until then passengers can brace themselves for further transport disruptions on long-distance and regional transport, and Lufthansa flights, due to two simultaneous strikes hitting both modes of transport through Friday.
READ ALSO:
- 'Rail no longer reliable': How latest German train strikes will hit services
- Lufthansa ground staff in Germany to stage another airport strike
On Tuesday, the transport strikes in North Rhine-Westphalia have so far led to long traffic jams and packed inner cities.
According to the WDR traffic studio, there are around 200 km of traffic jams on the motorways in NRW. City centres and on the access roads are also notably full.
Why did Verdi call for another strike?
The strike was called for amid ongoing collective bargaining over the working conditions of around 30,000 employees in the municipal transport companies.
So far, two rounds of negotiations on the collective labour agreement have taken place, leading to regular strikes in Germany’s most populous state.
"We want to produce so much pressure that they realise we can be even tougher and we should resolve this at the negotiating table," said Verdi negotiator Heinz Rech in a statement.
Verdi member Andrea Becker called the strikes "annoying" but said measures for better pay and working conditions were needed as high number of drivers take sick leave and the transport companies face an ongoing working shortage.
READ ALSO: 'No family life' - A Berlin bus driver explains why public transport workers are striking
Among other things, Verdi is demanding additional days off and certain shift and alternating shift allowances in order to relieve the burden on employees and make the jobs more attractive.
The third round of collective bargaining in NRW is to continue on March 11th and 12th in Dortmund.
Who is affected?
The following is a full list of the companies striking, according to Verdi:
- Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft (Duisburg)
- Rheinbahn AG (Düsseldorf)
- WSW mobil GmbH (Wuppertal)
- Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH (Solingen)
- Stadtwerke Remscheid GmbH (Remscheid)
- Bahnen der Stadt Monheim GmbH (Monheim)
- MVG Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft GmbH (Lüdenscheid)
- Verkehrsgesellschaft Ennepe-Ruhr mbH (Ennepetal)
- Hagener Straßenbahn Aktiengesellschaft (Hagen)
- Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe Aktiengesellschaft (Köln)
- Stadtwerke Bonn GmbH (SWB) – Bonn
- Stadtwerke Bonn Dienstleistungs-GmbH (SWBD) – Bonn
- Stadtwerke Bonn Verkehrs-GmbH (SWBV) – Bonn
- wupsi GmbH (Leverkusen)
- WestVerkehr GmbH (Geilenkirchen)
- Beteiligungsgesellschaft Kreis Düren mbH (BTG) – Düren
- Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe Aktiengesellschaft NIAG (Moers)
- SWK Mobil GmbH (Krefeld)
- NEW mobil und aktiv Mönchengladbach GmbH (Mönchengladbach)
- NEW mobil und aktiv Viersen GmbH (Viersen)
- Dortmunder Stadtwerke Aktiengesellschaft (Dortmund)
- Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH (Herten)
- Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen Aktiengesellschaft
- Ruhrbahn GmbH (Essen)
- STOAG Stadtwerke Oberhausen GmbH (Oberhausen)
- Straßenbahn Herne - Castrop-Rauxel GmbH (Herne)
- Stadtwerke Hamm GmbH (Hamm)
- Verkehrsbetrieb Hamm GmbH (Hamm)
- Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH (Gütersloh)
- Stadtwerke Münster GmbH (Münster)
- REVG Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (Kerpen)
- moBiel GmbH (Bielefeld)
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Around 30 municipal transport companies in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are taking part in the warning strike, which was called on late last week by the trade union Verdi. One major exception is the Aachen-based transport company ASEAG, which is covered by a company collective agreement.
The strike is set to end by Thursday. Until then passengers can brace themselves for further transport disruptions on long-distance and regional transport, and Lufthansa flights, due to two simultaneous strikes hitting both modes of transport through Friday.
READ ALSO:
- 'Rail no longer reliable': How latest German train strikes will hit services
- Lufthansa ground staff in Germany to stage another airport strike
On Tuesday, the transport strikes in North Rhine-Westphalia have so far led to long traffic jams and packed inner cities.
According to the WDR traffic studio, there are around 200 km of traffic jams on the motorways in NRW. City centres and on the access roads are also notably full.
Why did Verdi call for another strike?
The strike was called for amid ongoing collective bargaining over the working conditions of around 30,000 employees in the municipal transport companies.
So far, two rounds of negotiations on the collective labour agreement have taken place, leading to regular strikes in Germany’s most populous state.
"We want to produce so much pressure that they realise we can be even tougher and we should resolve this at the negotiating table," said Verdi negotiator Heinz Rech in a statement.
Verdi member Andrea Becker called the strikes "annoying" but said measures for better pay and working conditions were needed as high number of drivers take sick leave and the transport companies face an ongoing working shortage.
READ ALSO: 'No family life' - A Berlin bus driver explains why public transport workers are striking
Among other things, Verdi is demanding additional days off and certain shift and alternating shift allowances in order to relieve the burden on employees and make the jobs more attractive.
The third round of collective bargaining in NRW is to continue on March 11th and 12th in Dortmund.
Who is affected?
The following is a full list of the companies striking, according to Verdi:
- Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft (Duisburg)
- Rheinbahn AG (Düsseldorf)
- WSW mobil GmbH (Wuppertal)
- Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH (Solingen)
- Stadtwerke Remscheid GmbH (Remscheid)
- Bahnen der Stadt Monheim GmbH (Monheim)
- MVG Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft GmbH (Lüdenscheid)
- Verkehrsgesellschaft Ennepe-Ruhr mbH (Ennepetal)
- Hagener Straßenbahn Aktiengesellschaft (Hagen)
- Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe Aktiengesellschaft (Köln)
- Stadtwerke Bonn GmbH (SWB) – Bonn
- Stadtwerke Bonn Dienstleistungs-GmbH (SWBD) – Bonn
- Stadtwerke Bonn Verkehrs-GmbH (SWBV) – Bonn
- wupsi GmbH (Leverkusen)
- WestVerkehr GmbH (Geilenkirchen)
- Beteiligungsgesellschaft Kreis Düren mbH (BTG) – Düren
- Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe Aktiengesellschaft NIAG (Moers)
- SWK Mobil GmbH (Krefeld)
- NEW mobil und aktiv Mönchengladbach GmbH (Mönchengladbach)
- NEW mobil und aktiv Viersen GmbH (Viersen)
- Dortmunder Stadtwerke Aktiengesellschaft (Dortmund)
- Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH (Herten)
- Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen Aktiengesellschaft
- Ruhrbahn GmbH (Essen)
- STOAG Stadtwerke Oberhausen GmbH (Oberhausen)
- Straßenbahn Herne - Castrop-Rauxel GmbH (Herne)
- Stadtwerke Hamm GmbH (Hamm)
- Verkehrsbetrieb Hamm GmbH (Hamm)
- Stadtwerke Gütersloh GmbH (Gütersloh)
- Stadtwerke Münster GmbH (Münster)
- REVG Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (Kerpen)
- moBiel GmbH (Bielefeld)
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