Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – In North Rhine-Westphalia, warning strikes began early on Friday morning in local public transport. The one-day warning strike started when the transport companies started operating at around 2.30 a.m., said a Verdi spokesman. According to the union, the focus is on the Ruhr area and the Rhineland. Residents of the larger cities in particular must be prepared for considerable restrictions. According to an overview by Verdi, there are warning strikes in Dortmund, Bochum, Essen, Mülheim, Oberhausen, Cologne, Bonn, Aachen, Münster, Bielefeld, Hagen and Düsseldorf, among others. The Verdi spokesman said at least 15,000 strikers were expected across the country.
As the transport companies DVG and WSW mobil announced, there will be no buses and (suspension) trains in Duisburg and Wuppertal on Friday. In some of the affected cities, however, individual lines are likely to run, the operation of which has been awarded to private companies.
The warning strikes are part of a larger action in local transport – Verdi has also called for this in several other federal states. The action is to take place together with the climate activists from Fridays for Future, who are calling for a global climate strike on Friday.
For employees of transport companies that are in the hands of the municipality, the collective agreement of the public service in local transport applies. Verdi and the civil servants’ association dbb are demanding 10.5 percent more income for employees in the public sector at federal and local level, but at least 500 euros more per month. In the second round of negotiations last week, despite an offer from the employers, there was still no rapprochement. The probably crucial third round is scheduled for the end of March.
