Strike arm: Public transport in the Cologne-Bonn area stands still!

Strike arm: Public transport in the Cologne-Bonn area stands still!

On February 7, 2025, the Verdi union continues its warning strikes in the public service tariff conflict. Local transport in the Cologne-Bonn area is particularly affected, where about two million people live. According to Deutschlandfunk on this day no buses and trams will run, since thousands of local public transport are called up to the strikes.

The strike started with starting start and is expected to last 24 hours until the start of the following day. VRR informed that various municipal transport companies in the VRR area are also affected. However, Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies are not affected by the strikes.

background of the collective bargaining

The warning strikes are part of a wider protest campaign that can be seen from the current collective bargaining for the public service of the federal government and the municipalities. At the first round of negotiations on January 24, 2025, no result was achieved, which is why Verdi calls for these actions nationwide. The next round of negotiation will take place in Potsdam from February 17th to 18th, 2025, followed by a third round, which will also be held in Potsdam from March 14 to 16, 2025.

The Verdi union calls for a wage increase of eight percent and three additional free days for all public service employees. The ZDF emphasizes that around 2.5 million employees in different areas, including medical professions, schools and administration, are affected by the negotiations. In addition, demands for an increase of 200 euros were expressed for trainees and higher surcharges for stressful jobs.

reactions and effects

The employer side, represented by Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, has classified the claims as high and referred to the tense budget. At the same time, the President of the VKA, Karin Welge, referred to the additional costs of 14.88 billion euros, which are associated with the demands of the unions.

In view of around 570,000 vacant positions in the public service, many sides point out the need for adequate remuneration. Negotiations are of great importance, not only for the current employees, but also for the future labor market situation in the public service. In order to ensure undisturbed transport connections, passengers are advised to find out about possible effects and alternative connections before driving.