A major strike halts buses and trams across Germany as unions demand better pay and conditions, leaving commuters stranded in bitter winter weather.
BERLIN: Public transport across Germany ground to a halt on Monday in a major strike over pay and conditions.
The Verdi union called on almost 100,000 staff in 150 transport companies to participate in the nationwide stoppage.
It is pushing for shorter shifts and higher premiums for working evenings and weekends.
In some states, the union is also demanding pay increases of around 10%.
“If we don’t go on strike for better conditions, the jobs will remain unattractive, as we have seen in the past few years,” Verdi spokesman Andreas Schackert told public broadcaster ZDF.
The strike affects metro services, buses and trams in all states except Lower Saxony.
However, mainline and regional trains are still running.
Bitter winter weather and icy surfaces mean alternatives for commuters are more hazardous than usual.
Berlin’s BVG transport operator called the strike “disproportionate” and appealed to Verdi to return to negotiations.
Demonstrations in support of the strike are also planned in cities including Hamburg and Saarbruecken.
Monday’s strike follows warning strikes last month in several parts of the public sector.
Unions are sounding the alarm over workforce shortages and loss of purchasing power for workers.
