BVG before strike: Passengers have to adapt to massive restrictions!

BVG before strike: Passengers have to adapt to massive restrictions!

commuting Berliners and passengers of the BVG may be facing unconstitutional times. The Verdi union confirmed its demands for a new tariff agreement on Friday and will be around with the possibility of warning strikes from next Wednesday. The first negotiations with the municipal employers' association (KAV) are on January 15th. "It is up to the employers to submit a sustainable offer," explained Janine Köhler von Verdi. If this failed to do so, there could soon be massive work that could paralyze bus and rail traffic in the capital, such as the Berliner Zeitung reported.

The demands are ambitious: Verdi requires a wage increase of up to 30 percent for driving and workshop staff, which would increase personnel costs by around 250 million euros. Negotiator Jeremy Arndt has announced that the clashes could be as intensely as in 2008, when the BVG was strike for several weeks. In addition to a higher basic content, the trade unionists also call for allowances such as a 13th monthly content and specific surcharges. The pressure on the employer is growing, since hardly an agreement seems to be in sight and the obligation to peace has ended since December 31, 2024, as well as Berlin added

The reactions from politics have so far been behavior, but some MPs recognize the need for action regarding the working conditions and the competitiveness of BVG in relation to other transport companies. "If you want quality, you have to pay quality," commented Tino Schopf from the SPD and emphasized that satisfied employees are an important building block for public transport. In the coming weeks, the situation could remain tense, as the union and those responsible for the BVG continue to emphasize. An exchange of blows between Verdi and the BVG could mean considerable restrictions for passengers if the strikes announced.

Berliner Zeitung