The Verdi trade union has called its members to take part in another so-called 'warning strike' to increase pressure on Berlin’s transport operator BVG amid a dispute over pay and conditions.
As a result, the U-Bahn, trams and buses in the capital city are to remain at a standstill for 24 hours, starting on Monday morning, February 10th, at 3am and finishing in the early hours of Tuesday.
Only BVG lines that are operated by subcontractors will remain in operation during the strike, so passengers should expect that few buses or trams will be running.
Instead, commuters in Berlin should plan to rely on the S-Bahn or regional trains on Monday, as well as other means of transport like bike, car or ride share.
READ ALSO: How to get around Berlin during Monday's public transport strike
Why are BVG workers striking again?
It is the second 24-hour transportation strike in Berlin in two weeks, and is intended to put pressure on BVG ahead of the next round of wage negotiations for some 16,600 employees.
The trade union suggests that the company's last offer for wage increases "would mean a significant loss of real wages for employees".
As of January 31st, BVG had offered to raise workers’ salaries by 15.3 percent on average, over the course of the next four years.
But union representatives say that raise, split up over the next four years, would likely not keep pace with inflation. Verdi is demanding at least 25 to 30 percent more.
BVG workers last negotiated wages in 2021. Since then worker’s salaries have risen 11 percent, but after a couple years of sharp inflation that increase doesn’t appear to have been very helpful, from the trade unionists' perspective.
Last year, BVG workers also took part in a series of strikes, which were focused more specifically on gaining better working schedules and longer breaks.
READ ALSO: 'No family life' - A Berlin bus driver explains why public transport workers are striking
What’s next?
Verdi and the Berlin Municipal Employers' Association have agreed for a third meeting between union and company representatives about the wage dispute on Tuesday, February 11th, at 10am. After that the union's collective bargaining committee will meet again to discuss further actions if necessary.
So whether or not passengers will face further disruptions hinges on the success of Tuesday’s negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Berlin passenger association IGEB has repeated its call for emergency timetables to ensure minimum transport services during strikes.
"It must be possible for the union and BVG to agree on adequate emergency transport at short notice," said association spokesman Christian Linow. He added that in Italy emergency timetables are automatically used during strikes.
The IGEB promotes greater consideration for passengers – many of whom don’t own cars.
The BVG is used for about three million journeys each weekday.
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