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Striking employees in Munich
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
The trade union Ver.di has called for a warning strike, public transport in Munich is largely at a standstill.
The subway and tram did not initially go into operation this Thursday.
In the course of the day, one route each – the U6 and the Tram 20 – was served, as the municipal transport company MVG announced.
However, she expected that operations would have to be stopped again in the evening.
About every second bus vehicle was in use, but individual lines were completely canceled.
Not affected by the warning strike were S-Bahn and regional trains.
They are operated by Deutsche Bahn.
Many employees apparently switched to cars, and the Google Maps map service showed major traffic jams on several main roads early on.
There were also numerous cyclists on the road in the morning.
Ver.di is demanding a substantial wage increase of 10.5 percent, but at least 500 euros a month, and MVG taking over the Bavarian regional transport tariff.
What is unusual is that the two-day warning strike is being carried out in cooperation with climate groups.
Members of the »Anti-Capitalist Climate Meeting« blocked a bus depot for two hours early Thursday morning to prevent non-striking drivers from exiting.
The group announced this after the end of the campaign.
According to the MVG, the effects were limited.
Strikers are also to take part in the Fridays for Future demonstration planned for Friday in Munich.
The organization expects 4,000 to 8,000 participants in the state capital.
Strikes in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony
Fears that the warning strike could also delay the Wirecard process for alleged fraud involving billions were not fulfilled.
The court had feared that the defense lawyers would not be able to make it to the hearing on time.
In the collective bargaining dispute in the public sector at federal and state level, the Ver.di services union has announced warning strikes in local public transport in six federal states for Friday.
The non-city states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony are affected.
The warning strikes are taking place parallel to nationwide protests by the organization Fridays for Future for a traffic turnaround.
In the countries affected by the strike, the public service collective agreement applies to local transport because the companies there are in municipal hands, explained Ver.di.
"That's why we called on workers in the six federal states where public transport is affected by the public sector collective bargaining to go on all-day warning strikes," the union said.
Ver.di and the German Association of Civil Servants had rejected an employer offer from the federal government and local authorities in the second round of collective bargaining.
This provided for a linear increase in wages by three percent this year and a further two percent in the coming year, as well as tax- and duty-free one-off payments totaling 2,500 euros spread over two years.
Ver.di called the offer on Tuesday an "unparalleled provocation".
The third bargaining round will take place in Potsdam from March 27th to 29th.
mamk/dpa/AFP