Anyone who is currently dependent on buses and trains or wants to travel by plane needs strong nerves. Several major strikes are having a massive impact on the daily lives of commuters and travelers in this country. Whether for train drivers, at Lufthansa or in local public transport: In many sectors, collective bargaining rounds have been dragging on for months without any results. The fact that an agreement can be reached somewhere in the middle after a few negotiations and a few short warning strikes – a procedure that was common in previous labor disputes – no longer seems to work. Rarely in the history of the Federal Republic has the dispute between unions, who point out high inflation, and employers, who are concerned about high costs and the weak economy, been so bitter. An overview of current strikes.
Trains
Passengers who want to travel by train on Friday or who rely on the S-Bahn trains operated by Deutsche Bahn will be hit hard again. Even before the current strike by the GDL train drivers’ union began on Thursday, Deutsche Bahn had warned of “massive consequences”. Even after the strike ends on Friday at 1 p.m., travelers must expect disruptions, according to Deutsche Bahn.
Since Thursday morning, only around 20 percent of the long-distance trains have been in use. The effects are different in regional transport. There will also be no train connections for travelers this Friday; passengers can reschedule their journey until the days after the strike. Passengers can find out which trains will be canceled and which connections will be maintained before they start their journey Deutsche Bahn homepage inform.
The strike began on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in freight traffic. The new round of industrial action in passenger transport began on Thursday morning at two o’clock – now the fifth in the ongoing collective bargaining dispute between GDL and Deutsche Bahn.
And GDL boss Claus Weselsky is already announcing new industrial action. Future strikes should be much longer and announced at much shorter notice. Previously, the union had usually announced new strikes 48 hours in advance. In the future, rail travelers could be surprised by new strikes much more often. “This means that the railway is no longer a reliable means of transport,” said Weselsky. Setting up emergency timetables, as the railways have done so far, will then most likely no longer be possible. Weselsky does not rule out labor disputes over Easter.
The tariff dispute at the railway has been going on since the beginning of November. There is no immediate solution in sight. The main point of contention is the GDL’s demand for a 35-hour week with full wage compensation for shift workers. External mediators had recently proposed a reduction to 36 hours in two stages, the second stage of which should come into force at the beginning of 2028. According to its own statements, the railway would have agreed to this if necessary. The GDL apparently rejected the proposal. Passenger associations and numerous politicians are harshly criticizing what they see as Weselsky’s uncompromising course.
Flights
Travelers also have to be prepared for restrictions in air travel. The Verdi union has called on employees in the Lufthansa technology, logistics and training areas to go on a nationwide warning strike, which came into force on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. Other members of the ground staff joined at four o’clock on Thursday morning. The strike is scheduled to end for all participants on Saturday morning at 7:10 a.m.
Until then, travelers must expect canceled connections and delays. Probably only around ten to 20 percent of all flights can take place. According to the airport association ADV, around 250,000 passengers are likely to be affected on Thursday and Friday. Before departure, travelers can find out about their connections on the homepages of the respective airports or from their airline.
In addition to the industrial action among Lufthansa ground staff, the union also called for an all-day strike by security forces at Frankfurt and Hamburg airports on Thursday. At Düsseldorf Airport, security staff went on warning strike on Thursday without any warning. On Thursday night, the personnel and cargo controllers at Cologne-Bonn Airport also went on unannounced strike.
In addition, there are signs of industrial action by another group of employees: more than 96 percent of the approximately 19,000 flight attendants from the Lufthansa core brand and the subsidiary Lufthansa Cityline voted in favor of work stoppages, as the UFO union announced. When the strike will begin will be determined at a later date.
According to Verdi negotiator Wolfgang Pieper, an expansion of strike measures in collective bargaining among security personnel at German airports cannot be ruled out. Most recently, employers offered to increase hourly wages in three steps: by 1.20 euros on March 1st, by 0.75 euros on October 1st and again by 0.75 euros on April 1st, 2025 – with the collective agreement remaining in effect of 24 months. Insufficient for Pieper. Verdi is demanding 2.80 euros more wages per hour, higher functional bonuses and overtime bonuses from the first overtime hour with a contract term of twelve months.
Buses and trains
Negotiations are also currently underway in local public transport in all federal states with the exception of Bavaria – the collective agreement there has not been terminated. The Verdi union called on its 90,000 employees to go on strike nationwide last week. In many federal states, buses and trains were at a standstill, especially last weekend. In some cities there were joint campaigns with Fridays for Future. The strike continued in North Rhine-Westphalia until Wednesday evening.
The two-day strike in the state announced by Verdi began on Tuesday, and trams and subways remained in the depots of around 30 municipal transport companies. New strikes in local transport could soon take place in Baden-Württemberg. Verdi broke off negotiations with the employers there on Tuesday.