Berlin Public Transport Resumes After Two-Day Strike Amid Ongoing Contract Talks
Public transportation services in Berlin have resumed normal operations following a 48-hour warning strike that brought much of the city's bus, tram, and underground systems to a standstill. The industrial action, organized by the Verdi union, concluded early Sunday morning, allowing Berlin's main transit lines operated by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) to restore full service.
During the strike, which occurred over Friday and Saturday, most BVG-operated buses, trams, and underground trains ceased operations, severely impacting commuters and daily travel across the capital. Only a limited number of bus routes, managed by BVG subsidiary companies, remained operational. In contrast, the S-Bahn and regional train services, managed by separate entities, continued to run and even provided additional services along certain lines to help offset disruptions. The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) also increased the number of regional trains during this period.
Despite the return to regular service, some S-Bahn routes continued to face interruptions due to ongoing construction projects. Several lines, including S3, S41, S42, S46, S47, S8, S85, and S9, experienced service suspensions between Schöneweide and Ostkreuz or Neukölln, with replacement bus services implemented to support affected passengers.
The recent strike marks the second such action in the current round of labor negotiations. Earlier in February, a separate 24-hour walkout had already caused significant disruption in Berlin's public transportation system. The ongoing negotiations are focused not on salary increases, but on the terms of the collective agreement that governs employee working conditions.
In addition to Berlin, the warning strike extended to Brandenburg, where operations at 16 local transit companies were affected. According to Verdi, participation rates among employees were even higher than during the previous strike. However, the duration of the industrial action varied across locations, with public transport in cities like Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder) resuming as early as Saturday. Similar multi-day warning strikes have been reported in other German states, as Verdi negotiates new collective agreements in parallel with transport operators nationwide.
The union's key demands include increases in annual leave, a minimum rest period of eleven hours between shifts, and enhanced holiday pay with an option for additional days off. Another major point of discussion is the so-called 'turnaround time'--the break drivers receive at the end of a route before beginning the return journey. Verdi is advocating for a minimum turnaround time of six minutes for all drivers, a measure the BVG has deemed impractical given operational constraints. In response, BVG management has urged the union to prioritize its demands, stating that a formal offer can only be made once clear priorities have been established.
Further negotiations between BVG and Verdi are scheduled for the coming week, with both parties expected to return to the table in hopes of finding a resolution to the ongoing dispute. In the meantime, Berlin residents and commuters can expect the city's public transport network to operate without strike-related disruptions, although construction-related service changes may still apply on certain lines.