Crippling Strike Threatened on Berlin's Public Transport: Verdi vs BVG Standoff
Berlin faces potential prolonged labor action at the BVG public transportation system.
Damn, man, Berliners brace yourself! The sixth round of wage negotiations between Verdi and the Berlin Transport Authority (BVG) served no fruit, and an unlimited work stoppage looms over the U-Bahn, trams, and buses!
The powwow ended with no results, according to BVG's statement. Verdi had announced a ballot for an open-ended strike at BVG in such a scenario. "Now we're stuck trying to find reasonable solutions for our employees and the company, and we're wondering why the hell Verdi isn't budging," said BVG in a statement. They're down for more chats, but the next negotiation date is a 50-50, mate. Verdi hasn't droppped a line yet.
Both parties have been desirous of a fresh wage deal for approximately 16,000 employees since mid-January. Since then, Verdi's brought the public transport to a standstill four times - the latest being on March 26 and 27. It's looking like the strikes aren't ending anytime soon, and it'll likely only be Berliners dealing with the fallout in April. But Verdi could call for more warning strikes until the union initiates the ballot.
The ruckus is about the so-called basic wage. Verdi entered the negotiations seeking a €750 per month bump in pay each month for a year. BVG's latest offer? About half that amount in stages and spread over 24 months.
The Berlin S-Bahn's immune to all this, mate. It's run by S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, which is owned by Deutsche Bahn, and not BVG.
So, Berliners, brace yourselves for some chaotic rides ahead!
References
- ntv.de
- lme/dpa
- Various online sources
- The community policy in Berlin could be significantly affected if the ongoing verdi vs BVG standoff results in an unlimited work stoppage on Berlin's public transport.
- Vocational training for thousands of employees working in Berlin's public transport sector is at stake, as the sixth round of negotiations between Verdi and BVG yield no results.
- If the April negotiation between Verdi and BVG fails to reach an agreement, verdi might call for more warning strikes, potentially escalating the vocational training issue further.
