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Public transport strikes across Germany cause major disruption

The public transport network came to a standstill on Tuesday across Germany, resulting in huge disruption for passengers.

Published: 29 September 2020 09:11 CEST
Public transport strikes across Germany cause major disruption
In Marienplatz, Munich, a sign shows the U-Bahn is not operating due to the strike. Photo: DPA

Berlin, Hamburg, the Hanover region, Magdeburg, Kiel, Munich, Dresden, Leipzig, Freiburg, Konstanz, Mainz and Erfurt are among the cities affected, reported Spiegel.

U-Bahn trains, buses and trams in cities were running at extremely limited capacity or not at all in the so-called 'warning strikes' being held in a dispute over working conditions and pay.

READ ALSO: Commuters face chaos as public transport workers strike

Commuters urged not to travel unless necessary

Strikes in many regions including Brandenburg and Saxony are expected to last for 24 hours from 3am on Tuesday. However, the action is scheduled to last until 12noon Tuesday in some places, including Berlin.

Public transport firms across Germany called on travellers to only travel if it was necessary, or to switch to other means of transport. 

The action is not affecting S-Bahn services (such as those in Berlin and Munich) or regional trains.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, pupils who have long journeys to and from school do not have to attend lessons on Tuesday if their bus or tram isn't running.

On Tuesday morning, many union reps and workers stood on picket lines with posters.


The trade union Verdi called for the action in order to enforce a nationwide collective agreement for some 87,000 public transport workers. The union is calling for regulations on overtime compensation and allowances for shift work.

A man waiting at a bus stop in Dresden. Photo: DPA

They are also demanding measures to relieve the increasing strain felt by employees during the coronavirus crisis, such as extra leave or special bonuses, as well as policies focussing on the recruitment and development of young workers.

How is the strike affecting cities and regions?

In North Rhine-Westphalia alone, where the working conditions of 30,000 workers are at stake, Verdi believes more than 10,000 people are taking part in the warning strike over the course of the day, according to trade union spokesman Tjark Sauer.

READ ALSO: Explained: What sparked the protest culture of modern Germany?

In Wuppertal, authorities said there would be no buses at all on Tuesday and that the customer centres would be closed.

Frank Werneke, head of the Verdi union, said that massive disruptions in local transport were to be expected throughout Germany.

In Hamburg, employees of the Hochbahn and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg stopped work when operations began at 3am.

“Participation is high and the mood is good,” said Verdi Transport Department Manager Natale Fontana. The four underground lines in the Hanseatic city were completely shut down until midday, and the buses were running irregularly.

“It's not about money for us, but about working conditions,” said Fontana.

Verdi has also called on transport company employees in 11 Bavarian cities to take industrial action. According to the union, warning strikes are taking place in Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg, Landshut, Fürth, Coburg, Bamberg, Aschaffenburg, Würzburg and Schweinfurt.

The strike is also affecting Cologne, and in Bochum, local transport is completely shut down.

“The local public transport system is in a difficult situation nationwide,” said Verdi deputy head Christine Behle. “After 20 years of austerity measures, the limits of resilience have been reached.”

Despite rising passenger numbers, 15,000 jobs have been cut in the last 20 years, said Behle. This has resulted in high sickness rates among employees and a lack of younger employees, the union said.

Employers' groups, however, slammed the strike, calling it an “attack on the general public”. Verdi said that the employers had “provoked the strike” by refusing to negotiate a nationwide framework collective agreement.

The Verdi union said no further public transport strikes are planned this week.

Separate strikes in the public sector

These strikes are not linked to the nationwide walkouts of public sector workers seen this week. 

READ ALSO: This is where workers around Germany are striking on Tuesday

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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