Public sector walkouts continue in NW Germany

BERLIN (AA) - Thousands of public sector workers continued their strike action on Tuesday in northwestern Germany, demanding above-inflation pay rises.

Staff at childcare centers, public transport, and garbage collection services have joined the strike action in various cities across North Rhine-Westphalia, including Dusseldorf, Aachen, Solingen, and Bochum.

The strike caused huge disruption across Dusseldorf’s public transport network, while connections to Duisburg, Krefeld, and Neuss were also affected.

Thousands of bins across Dusseldorf have been left uncollected due to the strike action.

The ver.di trade union is expected to announce further strikes and rallies ahead of more talks with the federal and local authorities.

The union is demanding a 10.5% and no less than €500 ($530) pay rise for the public sector employees. The previous round of negotiations ended last week without an agreement, and a new round of negotiations are expected in March.