Federal states are relaxing Sunday driving bans for trucks warning strike
Sunday, March 26, 9:33 a.m.: 10 of the 16 federal states are relaxing the otherwise applicable Sunday driving ban for trucks this Sunday. The reason for this is the nationwide warning strike in the transport sector announced for Monday. Goods transports can be brought forward if necessary. Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Saarland, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt announced that they would not check the truck driving ban on Sunday or would even lift it. Forwarders, trade and Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had previously spoken out in favor of such a step.
The driving ban normally applies on Sundays from 0 a.m. to 10 p.m. for trucks with a permissible total weight of over 7.5 tons. According to the North Rhine-Westphalia Transport Industry and Logistics Association, the waiver of controls in the 10 federal states should not cause any traffic jams on the motorways. “We will see a few hundred more trucks on the Autobahn tomorrow. But it’s not like we have to worry about traffic jams,” said Marcus Hover, deputy general manager of the association on Saturday. Because this measure comes very late for the industry. The planning of the transports in the forwarding agencies has long since been completed.
Significantly more passengers before the traffic warning strike on Monday
Saturday, March 25, 11:45 a.m.: The all-day and comprehensive traffic warning strike announced for Monday in Germany is doing its part for the Deutsche Bahn (DB) already noticeable. “DB is already noticing a significantly increased number of passengers and a high utilization of the trains, especially in long-distance traffic, before the nationwide warning strike by the EVG on Monday,” said a railway spokesman on Saturday morning. Travelers are therefore recommended to reserve a seat. “Train passengers are also asked to reach their intended destination as early as possible on Sunday, as there may already be disruptions to rail traffic in the evening,” it said.
The Verdi union and the railway and transport union (EVG) have called for a major warning strike in the transport sector on Monday. Long-distance, regional and S-Bahn rail traffic is on strike, as are almost all German airports and local public transport in seven federal states. Shipping is also affected, as is the motorway company.
Minister shows understanding for large warning strikes in traffic
Friday, March 24, 06:55: Lower Saxony’s Minister of Transport, Olaf Lies, understands the workers in the transport industry who are demanding better pay with large warning strikes on Monday. A functioning mobility depends on whether there are enough specialists for this area – “and if we want to find good specialists, then we also have to ensure good work,” said the SPD politician of the German Press Agency. It is the trade unions’ right to draw attention to this.
However, Lies also appealed to all those involved to look for compromises in the collective bargaining dispute. “I think the signal got through. But the task now must be to find solutions,” he emphasized.
Commuters and travelers throughout Germany will have to be prepared for far-reaching restrictions on rail, air and local transport as well as on waterways on Monday. With a nationwide warning strike, the Verdi union and the railway and transport union (EVG) want to paralyze large parts of public transport on the day.
In the past few weeks there have already been several warning strikes in the collective bargaining dispute in the public sector, including in local transport in Lower Saxony.
Bahn expects “massive restrictions” in operation
2:19 p.m.: Due to the announced warning strike in the transport sector for next Monday, Deutsche Bahn expects “massive impairments” for all rail operations. “More detailed information on the effects on traffic will follow,” the group announced on Thursday. “It is already clear that extensive goodwill regulations are planned for the passengers affected.”
The railway and transport union (EVG), together with the Verdi union, called for extensive nationwide warning strikes in the transport sector on Monday.
The railways criticized the labor dispute as “groundless and unnecessary”. “The EVG must face up to its responsibility and return to the negotiating table immediately,” demanded HR Director Martin Seiler. “Our employees and passengers now need a quick solution, not a big warning strike.”
Long-distance and regional rail transport is affected by the warning strike on Monday, as are most German airports, motorways, waterways and local transport in numerous federal states and municipalities.
Numerous restrictions in Hamburg
8:37 a.m.: Numerous public sector employees went on an all-day warning strike on Thursday under the motto “We are the city’s gold!” “The warning strike has started everywhere in Hamburg as planned,” said a spokeswoman for the Verdi union on Thursday morning in Hamburg. Among other things, hospitals, city cleaning and the State Opera are affected. Ships requiring pilotage have not been able to enter or leave the port since Wednesday due to the warning strike at the HPA port administration.
Numerous daycare centers in Hamburg are therefore closed. “We will only be able to say later in the day how many day-care centers will actually be on strike,” said the Verdi spokeswoman. In any case, the Elbkinder-Kitas are there. They had already sent out a letter to parents on March 20 warning of a day-long strike on Thursday. The management writes in it that they have to accept that their employees are committed to their interests by participating in union strikes. They try to keep the adverse effects as low as possible.
According to the Verdi spokeswoman, other kindergarten providers, such as the Ballin Foundation, the Hamburg School Association and the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, also want to take part in the strikes. Overall, significant disruptions are to be expected. But parents were warned early on.
At the airport, employees wanted to stop work on Wednesday evening. Since this time the security checkpoints, check-in, baggage and aircraft handling should not be affected by the strike, the airport assumed that it would be able to largely continue operations. 252 flights – 125 take-offs and 127 landings – with around 31,000 passengers were expected for Thursday.
According to union information, the strikers want to meet at 9 a.m. for a rally on the town hall square and then march through the city center to the union building at Besenbinderhof. There will be a final rally there.
Warning strikes in administrations and daycare centers in Frankfurt and Eisenhüttenstadt
07.20: In the collective bargaining dispute in the public sector, employees of the city administrations in Frankfurt (Oder) and Eisenhüttenstadt will go on warning strike this Thursday. Parents of daycare children also have to be prepared for restrictions. Because in Eisenhüttenstadt, according to the union spokesman, the daycare centers should remain closed because of the warning strike. Employees on strike from Eisenhüttenstadt are to come to a strike rally in front of the city administration in Frankfurt (Oder) (9.30 a.m.). The Verdi union expects a few hundred participants, as announced on Wednesday.
On Monday, March 27, the third round of collective bargaining for the federal and local public sector begins in Potsdam. It is accompanied by work stoppages in the Brandenburg state capital. Verdi called on employees in all administrations, building yards, cemeteries, daycare centers and libraries to go on an all-day warning strike on Monday. There should be a rally in front of the negotiation hotel in Potsdam.
In Berlin, too, on March 23 and 24, employees in a “majority” of public sector companies were called on to lay down work. According to the union, municipal hospitals, water companies, city cleaning and the student union are among those affected.
Warning strike in Aachen local transport for the meeting of transport ministers
06:25: On the occasion of the conference of transport ministers in Aachen, the Verdi trade union started warning strikes in local public transport in the Aachen city region. Employees of the transport companies Aseag, Rurtalbus and Westverkehr are called for all-day work stoppages on Thursday. The actions had started as planned on Thursday at 3 a.m., said Verdi union secretary Frank Michael Munkler in the morning.
The Verdi spokesman explained that there was a lack of specialist staff for the much-touted traffic turnaround with an expansion of local transport services. The already existing shortage of skilled workers can only be remedied by “fair and good payment” in local transport.
A demonstration is planned in Aachen around noon. Strikers want to give NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens) a collage with photos of the nationwide strike actions that took place at the beginning of March with Fridays for Future. In addition, every transport minister is to be given a small photo book with motifs from the campaign to remind them of it.
City cleaning workers in Hamburg are on strike
Thursday, March 23, 6:20 a.m.: The Verdi union has also called on the employees of the Hamburg city cleaning department to go on a four-day warning strike. From Thursday to Sunday, recycling yards, large parts of the city cleaning and large parts of the garbage disposal are expected to be affected, the Hamburg city cleaning department announced on Wednesday. It is ensured that disposal in hospitals and care facilities as well as winter service and all traffic safety measures are not affected by the strike. The Hamburg city cleaning department announced that the removal of the yellow bags and bins for recyclable materials was also not affected.
More information on the warning strikes can be found on the following pages.
