The Berlin public transport is on Friday strikes - the local economy warns therefore costs in the millions. "If economic traffic and tens of thousands of commuters are thwarted equally, this can lead to enormous damage to companies," said the managing director of the Berlin-Brandenburg business association, Christian Amsinck. Trade, service providers and industry threatened sales losses.
The union Ver.di had announced the warning strikes at the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) after the fruitless second round in the collective bargaining. From the start of operation at 3.30 to 12 clock subways, buses and trams are on strike. S-Bahn and regional traffic are not affected.
It is to be reckoned with "significant disabilities" in local traffic, said a Ver.di spokesman. "If half the city is paralyzed to enforce a tariff claim, that is anything but relative," criticized Amsinck.
In the current collective bargaining round at the national company Ver.di wants to increase the pressure on employers. In the collective bargaining bargaining for around 14,000 employees of the BVG and its subsidiary Berlin Transport, the union demands a 36.5-hour week with full pay compensation.
She also demands Christmas bonuses, changes to the pay table and a one-time payment of 500 euros for union members. The municipal employers' association considers the demands unworkable.