On February 2, tens of thousands of public transportation workers in Germany launched a large-scale strike, causing traffic paralysis across most regions of the country. Combined with severe cold weather in multiple areas, this has caused great inconvenience for residents' commutes, reflecting deep-seated contradictions between labor demands and economic difficulties in Germany.

Large-scale strikes swept the country, intensifying commuting challenges

This strike officially began at 3:00 AM local time on Monday. Except for Lower Saxony, public bus, tram, and subway services in other German states were severely affected, covering major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen, involving about 150 municipal transportation companies. It is one of the largest coordinated actions in recent years in the field of local public transportation.

The strike caused widespread disruption of urban public transportation across Germany, disrupting the travel plans of tens of thousands of commuters. At the same time, temperatures across the country dropped below freezing, making it much more difficult for people to find alternative means of transportation. Many people were forced to walk, cycle, or carpool, greatly reducing their commuting efficiency.

This strike was initiated by the Verdi union, which represents about 100,000 public transport workers. The core reason for the strike is that negotiations between the union and municipal and state transportation companies have reached an impasse, and both sides have failed to reach an agreement on labor demands.

Union clearly outlines multiple demands, employers face budget constraints and struggle to compromise

Verdi union has put forward several specific demands, including wage increases, reduced weekly working hours and shift frequencies, extended rest periods, and higher bonuses for night shifts and weekend shifts, aiming to improve employees' working conditions and income levels.

In response to external criticism of the timing of the strike, Frank Hisebski, a union representative, defended the labor action in an interview with NDR media, stating that the union cannot choose the timing of wage disputes. Unfortunately, they cannot wait for the weather to improve before taking action, highlighting the urgency of the union's demand for resolution.

However, the employer side has limited room for compromise. Several cities in Germany are currently facing severe budget constraints, making it difficult to meet the union's demands, which has become a key reason for the deadlock in negotiations, and the differences between the two sides are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

Verdi union has clearly stated that the next round of negotiations is scheduled for February 9. Unless the employer meets all its demands, it will not rule out the possibility of further strikes, indicating the risk of escalation in labor conflicts in the future.

Strike reflects economic difficulties, frequent labor disputes draw attention

This large-scale strike is not an isolated case. In recent years, there have been multiple similar major labor actions in Germany, affecting long-distance and suburban railway services as well as major airports. The core demands have often centered on wage increases and reduced working hours, highlighting the growing tensions between German workers and employers.

Frequent labor disputes reflect the prolonged economic downturn in Germany. The German economy fell into recession for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, and in 2025, it experienced near-stagnation. In 2025, the number of business bankruptcies reached the highest level in 20 years, and structural economic pressures continue to increase.

The German Central Bank warned last December that due to increased military spending and continued financial support for Ukraine, Germany is expected to experience the largest budget deficit since the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.

German Chancellor Scholz has repeatedly criticized the work ethic of German citizens, questioning the rationality of employees taking nearly three weeks of sick leave per year, lamenting that the cost of German labor is too high, and urging people to work harder to boost economic output.

As early as August 2025, Scholz had announced that the current welfare state system in Germany can no longer be maintained with the existing economic capacity, and he also acknowledged that the German economy has fallen into a "structural crisis." This public transportation workers' strike is a concentrated manifestation of Germany's economic difficulties and labor contradictions.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7602520745389851176/

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