Public transport grinds to a halt in Germany amid nationwide strikes

Public transport workers went on strike across Germany on Monday to demand better working conditions, causing significant disruptions for commuters faced with icy roads, reported dpa.

The one-day industrial action called by trade union Verdi meant that no buses, trams and underground trains have been running since 3 am (0200 GMT).

All but one of Germany's 16 federal states were affected by the strikes, with some 5,000 public transport workers in the northern state of Lower Saxony bound by an agreement that prevents them from joining the picket lines, Verdi said.

The strike action does not affect long-distance services and regional and suburban commuter trains operated by state-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn.

The collective bargaining talks are being conducted with local employers' associations across the 16 states.

Verdi has been demanding significantly better working conditions for public transport workers, including shorter weekly hours and shift times, longer rest periods, but also higher bonuses for night-time and weekend shifts.

According to the union, in the states of Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saarland and Thuringia, and at the Hamburg underground network, higher wages are also on the table in negotiations.

"Our priority is to make progress at the negotiating table," the head of the Verdi negotiating team, Serat Canyurt, told dpa. "Our colleagues can think of better things to do than go on strike in this weather."

Parts of Germany have been hit by a bout of sustained winter weather, including sub-zero temperatures and snow, which has led to disruptions in public transport, including in Berlin.

And commuters in some regions will have to brace for further freezing rain and icy roads in the coming days, according to the German Weather Service.

"If we don't strike for better working conditions, jobs will remain so unattractive that, as we have seen in recent years, not enough people will be willing to work in public transport," Verdi official responsible for buses and trains Andreas Schackert told public broadcaster ZDF.

He noted that shift work in particular was a source of strain for public transport workers.

Schackert said that if nothing was done to make the job more appealing, "then in the long run we won't be able to retain people."