Berlin, Germany | BAZZUP | Millions of travelers were impacted on Monday by nationwide strikes in Germany that almost stopped all train, bus, and aircraft activity. The flow of freight was also significantly hampered.
Apart for Berlin, all of Europe’s major airports were affected by the strikes. Over 380,000 business and leisure travelers were impacted by canceled or significantly delayed flights, according to the German Airports Association (ADV).
While only a few regional trains were running, long-distance rail service was completely suspended. The nation’s ports, rivers, and transportation network were all impacted.
Public transportation workers in seven German states went on strike as actual pay were being reduced by record inflation.
According to Frank Werneke, the chairman of the Verdi union, “this day of industrial action in the transport industry is designed to make it absolutely obvious to employers that employees are clearly behind our demands.” Verdi and the Railway and Transport Union jointly announced the strike (EVG).
Workers in the public sector are asking for a minimum pay raise of 500 euros (540 dollars) per month, or an increase of 10.5%. A third and allegedly final session of negotiations is ongoing concurrently with the strikes on Monday.
“The unions are gone too far, I don’t see why there are suddenly strikes everywhere and with such vigor,” Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations President Karin Welge (VKA),
The present offer from state employers includes a 5% pay increase in two stages in addition to a 2,500 euro one-time tax-free payment. The time has come for the labor unions to “move in the direction of a compromise,” according to Welge.
There have been numerous public sector strikes in various parts of Germany for several weeks. Airports have been particularly severely hit, with thousands of flights being canceled, although only making up a small portion of the workforce. 1 euro is equal to 1.08 dollars.
