The service trade union Verdi and the railway and transport union (EVG) want to paralyze traffic in Germany with an all-day strike on Monday. The EVG said on Thursday that it was calling on the approximately 230,000 employees of all railway and transport companies currently negotiating to a nationwide warning strike on March 27. The work stoppages were to start at 0:<> on Monday morning. Verdi announced that it would strike airports and public institutions in several federal states. "There will be severe delays throughout Germany up to the standstill of transport services in all areas mentioned," it said.

From public transport to airport: who is affected

Affected are the unprecedented warning strike action of long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic of Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies. Verdi is also calling for work stoppages at all commercial airports except Berlin and in public transport in the federal states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria. The motorway company is also to be on strike, as well as the water and shipping administration.

According to EVG, the railway companies Transdev, AKN, Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen, erixx, vlexx, eurobahn and Die Länderbahn are affected on the railways in addition to Deutsche Bahn. "The all-day strike usually begins on the night of 26 to 27 March at 0 o'clock and ends at 24 o'clock," both unions said. At Deutsche Bahn, therefore, all long-distance traffic will be discontinued nationwide. Also in regional traffic will "largely no train drive," said the group on Thursday.

Elbtunnel and other tunnels closed on Monday

Since the employees of the federal motorway companies are also called to strike, there will be restrictions in the area of tunnel connections. "We will look at certain tunnels," said Verdi deputy Christine Behle on Thursday in Berlin. Verdi could not yet say specifically which tunnels were affected. However, certain tunnels would be closed, "through which you can not actually drive, for example the Elbtunnel" in Hamburg.

Shipping is also affected on Monday: Both numerous locks on important waterways would be on strike as well as the Port of Hamburg, said the Behle. "In certain areas, it will not continue," she stressed. Accordingly, large ships will not be able to call at the Port of Hamburg, for example. In addition, there should be significant delays in the loading of ships.

The chairman of the railway and transport union (EVG), Martin Burkert, has advised travelers before the warning strikes announced for next Monday to arrive at their destination as early as possible on Sunday. "Because there may well be shifts that go into Monday from Sunday evening," he said on Thursday when announcing the joint industrial action with the Verdi trade union in Berlin. "This day of strike will have a massive impact," he stressed.

Deutsche Bahn plans goodwill arrangements for passengers

Due to the announced warning strike in the transport sector, Deutsche Bahn expects "massive impairments" for the entire railway operation next Monday. "More detailed information on the impact on traffic will follow," the group said on Thursday. "It is already clear that extensive goodwill arrangements are planned for the affected passengers." The railway criticized the labor dispute as "groundless and unnecessary". "Our employees and passengers now need a quick solution, not a major warning strike," said Human Resources Director Martin Seiler.

Verdi wants to increase the pressure

According to the trade unions, the warning strikes at airports affect negotiations for public sector employees on the one hand, local negotiations for ground handling workers and nationwide negotiations for aviation security workers on the other.

With these actions, Verdi is increasing the pressure for the third round of negotiations with the federal government and municipalities, which begins on Monday. Together with the civil servants' federation dbb, the union for the public service demands 10.5 percent and at least 500 euros more wages. The employers had submitted an offer in the second round of negotiations at the end of February. It includes, among other things, a pay increase of a total of five percent in two steps and one-off payments totaling 2500 euros.

At the end of February, EVG also began negotiations with Deutsche Bahn and around 50 other railway companies. The union had rejected a first offer from the railway last week. She demands at least 650 euros more wages. In the case of higher salaries, it is aiming for an increase of twelve percent with a term of the collective agreement of twelve months. Among other things, Deutsche Bahn had offered to raise the wages of the approximately 180,000 affected employees in two steps by a total of 5 percent and to promise several one-off payments totaling 2500 euros.

Local and long-distance traffic as well as airports throughout Germany were on strike simultaneously more than 30 years ago in the course of a strike lasting several weeks. During this fierce industrial dispute in the public sector in the spring of 1992, several hundred thousand workers temporarily stopped work. However, this was a regular industrial action, not warning strikes.