Cologne stands still: Transport companies are lame on Tuesday!

Cologne stands still: Transport companies are lame on Tuesday!

On February 15, 2024, there will be a full -day warning strike by the Cologne Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB), which is organized by the United Service Union Verdi. The strike begins on Tuesday at 3 a.m. and ends on Thursday night at 3 a.m. During this time there will be no more KVB tram trips; Only bus trips via subcontractors are possible. There will also be a failure on the light rail lines 16 and 18, which are operated in cooperation with the Stadtwerke Bonn.

Background of the strike are the ongoing collective bargaining in which Verdi demands an increase in the salary by 8 percent or at least 350 euros per month. These demands also include higher surcharges for particularly stressful activities and an increase in salaries for trainees, interns and student assistants for 200 euros per month. The current entry-level content for KVB drivers is EUR 3,002.72 gross per month.

Details on working conditions

The KVB offers its employees a financial development every four years and time surcharges, depending on the service. In addition, employees receive two special payments, one in July and one in November. The KVB also offers a company pension via the supplementary pension fund of the city of Cologne and other retirement provisions. Social benefits also include participation in wealthy benefits in the amount of 6.65 euros per month. All employees are classified in wage group 5 according to the collective agreement (TV-N) and benefit from a daycare center in a Cologne parents' initiative.

The current demands of Verdi are in the context of comprehensive collective bargaining for the public service, which are associated with around 2.3 million employees in the federal government and the municipalities. These negotiations were started in January 2025 and the next round is expected for March 2025. The existing collective agreement ends on December 31, 2024, and salary increases and a variety of other needs are central issues in the discussions. The unions also call for the introduction of a “my-time account” to enable employees to flexibility in the field of working time.

The financial situation of the municipalities is currently tense, which increases the criticism of the unions expressed by the association of the municipal employers' associations (VKA). It is pointed out to a historical debt of 160 billion euros that affects municipal households. At the same time, the problem of personnel in public service is becoming increasingly clear. Employees report overload and vacant positions, which underlines the urgency of a solution in the negotiations.