German public transport workers to stage new strikes on Friday

BERLIN (AA) - German public transport workers will hold fresh strikes on Friday to increase pressure on the government for better pay.

The ver.di trade union announced that bus and train drivers will walk out in six federal states on Friday, including the country’s most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The union is demanding a 10.5% and no less than €500 ($530) pay rise for the public sector employees.

Friday’s strike action also aims at drawing attention to climate change, and the need to bolster public transport, according to a statement by the union.

Christine Behle, the union’s deputy chairwoman, criticized the federal government and regional authorities for neglecting public transport.

"Since 2019, federal and state transport ministers have been talking about a doubling of public transport by 2030. But after years of discussion, there is still no idea where the money for this expansion should come from, let alone an expansion strategy,” she said.

Public sector workers have been staging walkouts in various federal states since last week after the second round of collective bargaining negotiations with the government ended without agreement.

Authorities in Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Stuttgart have warned that Friday’s strike action will likely cause severe disruption for passengers traveling by bus, tram and metro.