Warning Strike in Hamburg: Many Hochbahn Buses Cancelled
Hamburg, February 20 – The ver.di trade union has continued its warning strike in Hamburg’s public transport system. On Thursday, Hochbahn buses in the eastern part of the city were affected, with employees from the Wandsbek, Billbrook, and Hammerbrook depots called to stop work until Friday morning at 3 AM. Consequently, numerous bus services in eastern Hamburg were cancelled. Hochbahn reported that approximately half of the 30 affected lines were expected to be completely out of service.
U-Bahn Services Resume, S-Bahn an Alternative
Passengers were able to use S-Bahn services and, notably, U-Bahn services, which have resumed operation. On Wednesday, all four U-Bahn lines were at a standstill due to the warning strike, causing significant disruption for commuters.
Ver.di: “Light-years” Apart in Tariff Negotiations
The ongoing tariff negotiations are the reason for the warning strikes. Irene Hatzidimou from ver.di stated in an interview with NDR 90,3, “Long working hours, excessively long shifts, and insufficient breaks and turnaround times are making colleagues tired and sick.” She emphasized that these “wave strikes” are necessary to achieve better working conditions for the employees.
Hochbahn Negotiations Scheduled for February
Ver.di is demanding a 7.5 percent wage increase from Hochbahn, which had not yet presented an offer in the previous round of negotiations. While Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) has made an offer, ver.di deems it unsatisfactory, stating they are “light-years” apart. For VHH, the union’s demands include the introduction of a 35-hour week and holiday pay. The next negotiations for Hochbahn are scheduled for February 20 and 24, while talks with VHH are set for February 26.
High Strike Participation Reported
Both Hochbahn and VHH have reported very high strike participation over the past two days. Hochbahn stated that over 80 percent of its employees participated in the strike, while VHH indicated that almost 90 percent of its staff joined the industrial action.
Public Service Agreement and Solar Expansion
For the Hanseatic city, a special regulation regarding the Hamburg allowance is part of the public service agreement. According to Finance Senator Dressel, this will increase pressure to save money. In other news, Hamburger Hochbahn is continuing to expand its solar power initiatives. There are plans for an entire electric bus depot in Meiendorf to be supplied with local solar power.
Increase in Attacks on Hochbahn Employees
Last year, there were over 100 reported cases of attacks on Hochbahn employees in Hamburg. Many employees are calling for better training and support to address this growing issue.
The current strike is part of a broader series of industrial actions affecting various sectors in Germany, highlighting ongoing tensions in labor negotiations across the country.
