Thursday, 6 March
Kitas, hospitals, rubbish collectors: More public sector strikes hit Berlin
Berlin and Brandenburg are facing another wave of public sector strikes this Thursday and Friday as wage disputes between the Verdi union and government employers drag on. Expect disruptions to hospitals, waste collection, and childcare services.
On Thursday, non-medical staff at Charité and Vivantes hospitals are walking out. While routine operations will be postponed, essential procedures—such as tumour surgeries and emergency care—will go ahead as planned.
The Berlin city cleaning service (BSR) is also on strike. That means no rubbish collection, no bulky waste pick-up, and all recycling centres will be closed. If your bins are full, you’ll have to wait for the next scheduled collection. Leaving waste outside closed recycling centres is prohibited and could result in fines.
On Friday, further strikes are planned, with a focus on female-dominated professions like healthcare and social work. Verdi has timed these walkouts to coincide with Equal Pay Day (7 March) and International Women’s Day (8 March). The union is demanding an 8% pay rise, or at least €350 more per month, but negotiations remain deadlocked.
Berlin has seen several strikes this year, and Verdi remains in tough negotiations with the BVG. Transport workers are pushing for better wages and more time off, but for now, no further public transport strikes are planned before 12 March.
