Tuesday, February 18
Strike three: BVG to halt service for 48 hours this Thursday and Friday
The Verdi union and BVG have been locked in tough wage negotiations for five weeks, but little progress has been made. Now, the union has announced its third—and longest—strike in this round of talks, bringing Berlin’s buses, trams, and subways to a standstill for 48 hours this Thursday and Friday.
This strike is twice as long as the previous walkout, lasting from 03:00 on Thursday (the start of BVG’s daily shift) until 03:00 on Saturday. However, the S-Bahn, operated by Deutsche Bahn rather than BVG,will remain unaffected.
At the heart of the dispute is wages: BVG has offered a 17.6% increase over four years, but Verdi argues this still amounts to a real wage cut, which they refuse to accept.
And things could escalate further. If no agreement is reached by the fifth round of negotiations, the union has warned of indefinite strikes, potentially bringing even greater disruption to Berlin’s transport network.
