In Germany, the so-called mega strike began on Monday, March 27. Almost all public transport has been paralyzed and this is expected to last until midnight. In some cities, only certain buses are running, and residents must find out exactly which lines and when on the relevant websites.

Almost all public transport is largely at a standstill due to the warning strike by the Verdi and EVG unions. Intercity and regional rail traffic has been affected, as well as local public transport in several German federal states and almost all airports, German media report.

How long does the strike last?

The all-day strike began at midnight on the night from March 26 to 27 and ends at midnight, both unions announced. The German public sector employees' union Verdi and the railway and transport union EVG are carrying out the mega strike, which includes 120,000 employees across the country through Verdi and another 230,000 employees protected by the EVG union.

Which areas are affected?

Public transport has been halted on a large scale, and certain highways have been closed. German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) has stopped all intercity traffic. – There will be almost no rail traffic, says German Railways human resources director Martin Seiler. The consequences will still be felt on Tuesday. – Passengers who booked train travel for Monday or Tuesday can still use that ticket on April 4, German Railways announced.

In seven German federal states, almost nothing should be operating in local transport: in Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, Saxony, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

German airports are striking on a massive scale. According to data from the airport association ADV, around 380,000 business and private travelers cannot take off, and passenger traffic at the largest airport in Frankfurt has also been halted. On Sunday there were no regular flights at Munich Airport.

There may be major traffic congestion on the streets. At first, there were fears that even tunnels would have to be closed because they could no longer be monitored. However, that will not happen after all because the highway company dismissed those concerns.

Traffic at the Port of Hamburg has also been halted. Certain areas are completely blocked, and the Port of Hamburg is not accessible to large ships on Monday.

What will happen on Tuesday?

In many places, the consequences of the warning strike will still be felt on Tuesday. In German Railways intercity traffic, for example, it will take some time before ICE and IC trains return to service.

German Railways said that train cancellations can still be expected on Tuesday, especially during the day.

Experts do not expect the national strike to cause major economic damage.

What is causing the mega strike?

From the unions' point of view, employers are showing too little movement in several rounds of collective bargaining. By means of the large strike on Monday, employers want to show their strength for the third round of negotiations for public transport. For 2.5 million federal and local public employees, Verdi and the civil servants' association unions are demanding 10.5 percent higher pay, but at least 500 euros more per month. Meanwhile, EVG is fighting with several companies for more money, especially for German Railways.

Source: fenix-magazin.de