KVB warning strike in Cologne: Traffic stands still - this is how it affects the citizens!

KVB warning strike in Cologne: Traffic stands still - this is how it affects the citizens!

On Friday, February 7, 2025, a comprehensive warning strike begins at 3 a.m. at the Cologne Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB), which will last until Saturday, 3 a.m. The strike was proclaimed by ver.di and aims to advance the current collective bargaining in the public service, which have been postponed without success since January 24, 2025. During this time, the Cologne residents have to adapt to significant impairments in local transport, since all KVB's KVB travels fail throughout the strike.

In addition, many bus lines are affected, with only sporadic trips being carried out by subcontractors. The KVB has already announced that its customer centers and sales offices will remain closed during this time. Lines 16 and 18, which offer connections to Bonn, are particularly affected. There is also a strike here, which the situation continues to complicate.

collective bargaining and claims

The background of the strike is Ver.di's claims after a wage increase of 8 percent, at least 350 euros per month, as well as higher surcharges for stressful activities. In addition, an increase in the training allowances of around 200 euros per month, three additional free days and the introduction of a "my time account" are required to enable employees more flexibility.

The next round of collective bargaining is scheduled for February 17 and 18, 2025 in Potsdam, followed by a third round of negotiations from March 14 to 16, 2025. Apart from Cologne, numerous other federal states of warning strikes are also affected. In total, strikes in local public transport (public transport) are planned by the second negotiation date on November 11, which extend to Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Rhineland-Palatinate

reactions and effects

The KVB mobility guarantee does not apply during the strike, which also makes the location more difficult for commuting passengers. While the transport companies in Cologne and Bonn are affected by the warning strikes, the distant, regional and S-Bahn traffic of Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies remains unaffected. Deutsche Bahn has already explained that all reorganization and RB trains and the S-Bahn run regularly.

For Cologne residents who rely on alternatives, e-scooters/scooters and rental bikes are available as additional means of transport. KVB subscribers also have the option of using the KVB bikes free of charge for up to 30 minutes. These measures could help to cushion the inspired interruptions during the warning strike.

In this context, it should be mentioned that similar warning strikes also take place in the metal and electrical industry, which aims at a wage increase of 7 percent. So far, employers have only promised modest offers of 1.7 percent. These nationwide strikes illustrate the urgency of the current collective bargaining and the displeasure of the employees about inadequate offers.