Employees of Berlin’s public transport association, the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), will strike on January 27, bringing U-Bahns, trams and buses to a halt.

Ver.di announces BVG strike on January 27

Germany’s largest trade union, ver.di, has announced that BVG employees will go out on strike on January 27, halting U-Bahn, tram and bus traffic in Berlin.

The strike will begin on Monday and last until 3am on Tuesday, January 28. The BVG has warned that U-Bahn, tram and bus services may remain unreliable in the hours shortly after the strike ends and into rush hour on Tuesday morning.

S-Bahn and regional trains will continue to run as normal. These services are operated by Deutsche Bahn and are not impacted by the BVG strike.

Why are BVG employees going on strike?

Representing 14.000 BVG employees, ver.di is demanding the public transport association increase wages by 750 euros per month for all employees, pay alternating shift workers a 300 euro allowance and offer a 13th month's salary - a common type of Christmas bonus in Germany. The BVG claims these demands are not financially viable.

“Prices have exploded but BVG employees have been waiting three years for a fair and suitable pay rise,” ver.di representative Sven Globig wrote in a press release.

“We drivers feel the impact of staff shortages and cutbacks in our everyday lives. The situation is tense and we need a fair solution. Only then, under better conditions, can Berlin’s public transport continue to run reliably,” member of ver.di's negotiating board Manuel von Strubenbach added.

Another ver.di representative, Jenny Arndt, explained that warning strikes are always a last resort after long, unfruitful negotiations. Arndt asked passengers to be patient as negotiations continue. If the transport association and union do not reach an agreement, further strikes can be expected.

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