Trains, airports, shipping: the warning strike starts – and in the country almost nothing works anymore: That's the situation in the morning

If you can work from home this Monday, you're lucky.

Trains, airports, shipping: the warning strike starts – and in the country almost nothing works anymore: That's the situation in the morning

If you can work from home this Monday, you're lucky. For commuters and travelers, on the other hand, it will be a busy day. A comprehensive warning strike by the Verdi and EVG unions began at midnight. Almost all public transport is largely at a standstill. Long-distance and regional rail transport is affected, as is local public transport in several federal states and almost all airports.

Millions of people who set off for work this morning or who want to start a journey have to get to their destination in a different way than usual. Long traffic jams are expected on the roads, because for many the only option is to switch to the car. “DB long-distance and regional transport stopped on March 27, 2023 due to a strike by the railway and transport union (EVG),” said the Deutsche Bahn website in the morning. According to the EVG, more than 30,000 employees at around 350 locations across Germany took part in the early hours of the morning. "The Republic stands because the employers refuse," said EVG collective bargaining board member Kristian Loroch. "We are on strike today because, despite the difficult financial situation for many employees, we were not presented with anything in the collective bargaining that we could seriously negotiate."

What travelers should know and how to proceed.

The railway and transport union (EVG) has called a total of around 230,000 employees at around 50 railway companies to industrial action. As a result, rail traffic in Germany comes to an almost complete standstill. Deutsche Bahn stops long-distance traffic. Most regional and S-Bahn trains are also canceled - regardless of which company they are traveling for.

Local public transport is in the organizational area of ​​Verdi. Buses, trams and subways in the federal states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and in large parts of Bavaria should remain in the depots on Monday.

Verdi is also on strike at German airports on a large scale - according to the airport association ADV, around 380,000 business and private travelers cannot take off. At the largest airport in Frankfurt, for example, passenger traffic comes to a standstill. There are no regular flight operations at Munich Airport even on Sundays and Mondays.

Shipping is also to be restricted. For example, large ships should not be able to enter the port of Hamburg. In addition, the motorway company is affected, which is responsible for safe operation on the federal trunk roads.

The streets are likely to be very crowded, especially in the cities where local transport is also on strike. At first it was feared that even tunnels would have to be closed because they could no longer be monitored. The motorway company rejected this fear and referred to planned emergency service agreements.

The Hamburg Elbtunnel will also remain open on Monday. The Hamburg State Labor Court decided on Sunday that the union had to submit an emergency service agreement. The A7 and the Elbe Tunnel were closed all weekend due to construction work and reopened on Monday morning.

It started at 00:00 on Monday night – the strike should last 24 hours. EVG boss Martin Burkert had previously expressly recommended travelers to arrive on time at their destination on Sunday. However, travelers should not get stranded on the open route.

In many places, the effects of the warning strike will still be felt on Tuesday. In long-distance Deutsche Bahn, for example, it will take some time before the ICE and IC trains are back where they are needed. The train said that train cancellations can still be expected, especially during the daily start-up. Effects are also possible at the airports on Tuesday.

The big joint strike day is a long-planned but initially one-off action by the unions involved. With the warning strike, Verdi wants to increase the pressure on the municipalities and the federal government in time for the start of the third round of negotiations for the public sector on Monday in Potsdam. If both sides now come to an agreement in Potsdam, the EVG railway union would no longer be able to join forces with Verdi for possible further rail strikes anyway. But in view of the confrontational situation, further strikes in the public sector are far from off the table.

EVG boss Martin Burkert does not rule out warning strikes at Easter either. Nevertheless, the union recently made it clear that it had the interests of Easter travelers in mind.

The EVG is fighting for more money with around 50 railway companies - especially in view: Deutsche Bahn. For the railways, the second round of negotiations will begin next week. The EVG wants to get back together with Deutsche Bahn at the end of April. So there is time for more rail warning strikes.

The right to form trade unions is enshrined in the Basic Law, industrial disputes are legally protected. The federal government also referred to the fundamental right to strike. Warning strikes in the public sector and on the railways are legal after the end of the peace obligation - but there is criticism that the unions are merging the two. The chief negotiator for the municipalities, Karin Welge, says: "In the end, no one can understand exactly which collective bargaining round is going on strike and where." Employer President Steffen Kampeter says: "Big strikes that are supposed to paralyze a country are not warning strikes."

In any case, the top municipal negotiator Welge is "a bit angry," as she says. The mayor of Gelsenkirchen accuses the trade unions of acting as if no compromises are conceivable. A result should now be found in Potsdam. However, unions and employers are far apart: The unions want to get 10.5 percent more income over 12 months for the 2.5 million employees of the municipalities and the federal government because of the high inflation, at least 500 euros more. Employers don't want a minimum amount - and offer 5 percent more wages over 27 months.

Verdi boss Frank Werneke has been speculating at rallies across the country for weeks about a possible temporary failure. The possible scenarios include an agreement in Potsdam, an arbitration procedure, an appointment for another round or a ballot and a forced strike.

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