A 48-hour strike has shut down bus, metro, and tram services in Berlin after wage negotiations between the Ver.di union and Berlin Transport Corporation (BVG) failed. The strike began at 03:00 and will continue until February 22.
Ver.di is demanding a €750 monthly salary increase, a 13th salary payment, and additional bonuses for shift workers and drivers. BVG has offered a phased 17.6% pay raise by 2028 but called the strike “exaggerated,” citing a €250 million annual cost.
If no agreement is reached by March 21, Ver.di has warned of an indefinite strike. The last major BVG strike in 2008 lasted six weeks.
