Strike hits transport services across Germany

BERLIN (AA) - German workers staged a warning strike on Friday bringing public transport to a standstill in more than 80 cities across the country.

Bus, tram and underground services were severely disrupted in major cities, including Cologne, Frankfurt and Hamburg, causing traffic jams during the morning rush hour.

Due to the one-day strike, many commuters turned to alternative methods to get to work, by taking their cars, riding bikes, or e-scooters.

According to the Verdi trade union, which called for the strike, approximately 90,000 public transport workers are participating in the strike across 15 federal states, with the sole exception of Bavaria.

The union and the transport companies could not reach an agreement on wages and working conditions during their first round of negotiations last week.

In the states of Brandenburg, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the union is negotiating with the transport companies for higher wages, demanding a pay rise to offset a cost of living crisis.

While in other states, negotiations are mainly on improvements in working conditions, holiday pay, and longer vacation periods for the employees.