Public transport in Berlin could see major disruption at the start of next year, as pay negotiations between BVG, the city’s transport association, and union ver.di are starting to ramp up before they’ve even begun. According to the Berliner Zeitung, ver.di said it was impossible to rule out strikes in the new year. 

Berlin public transport workers could walk out over pay negotiations

Next year, on January 15, BVG and ver.di will sit down to hammer out the details of collective bargaining agreements for the 16.000 employees represented by the union. But four weeks before negotiations are even scheduled to begin, the chances of an agreement being readily reached look slim. 

Ver.di is making huge demands on behalf of its workers - something that the cash-strapped transport company will struggle to provide, with its finances already deep in the red. BVG has already announced that it will increase ticket prices in the new year as it seeks to close the financing gap. 

According to Berliner Zeitung, the union is calling for salaries to be increased by around 700 euros per month across the board - a raise of up to 30 percent for some employees - a higher travel allowance of 300 euros, a bigger shift allowance, and a 13 month’s salary at Christmas. 

Ver.di's demands are being backed by other smaller unions in the capital city - NahVG and dbb Beamtenbund are pushing for similar raises, arguing that the wages paid in Berlin are far below what workers get in other places around the country. 

Tense mood draws parallels with 6-week 2008 strike

The Berliner Kurier writes that the mood is tense, and that the force of opinion in the two opposing camps is such that a major strike could be in the offing. According to ver.di negotiator Jeremy Arndt, the wage disputes are as intense as they were leading up to the infamous strike in 2008, when walkouts lasted six weeks before a deal could be reached. 

Ver.di spokesperson told Berliner Zeitung: “If we do not see BVG clearly respond to our demands in these negotiations, a strike cannot be ruled out in the future.” 

The last strike took place in Berlin in 2019 and was successful in getting train and bus drivers an 8-percent pay rise. 

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