A new flurry of strikes means commuters and travellers across five of Germany's federal states can expect local bus and train delays throughout Thursday, May 4. The industrial action comes ahead of a nationwide collective bargaining round for transport workers, which is scheduled for Friday.

Transport strikes from Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria

Severe transport delays and cancellations are expected across five German states on Thursday, May 4, as thousands of workers employed by local transport associations go on strike to demand higher wages.

Local buses and trains in Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria will be affected by the industrial action. Strikes in Baden-Württemberg are likely to cause the greatest disruption.

SWEG workers strike for second week in a row

For the 1.800 workers employed by the Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs GmbH (SWEG), Thursday’s walkout is the second in the last two weeks. This time, employees in the company’s workshops have also been called to join the strike.

Ver.di coordinator for public transport and the rail sector, Jan Bleckert, told Badische Zeitung that the strike should re-emphasise the demands made for the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, for which a further round of negotiations is scheduled for Friday, May 5.

On behalf of employees. the union is demanding an extra 550 euros of pay per month for the next 12 months and a trainee pay rise of 250 euros. As it stands, workers have been offered a one-off tax-fee payment of 1.080 euros and 12 monthly payments of 160, then a 150-euro pay increase from mid-2024, which ver.di has rejected as an insufficient offer.

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