"There will be waves of strikes in local public transport throughout Germany until March 2, 2024 ... Most of the regional strikes will take place on March 1," the union said in a statement.
One-off strikes have been taking place since Monday, while mass industrial action is now in its second day, affecting all German federal states except Bavaria. About 10,000 public transport workers took to the streets of major German cities on Friday morning, according to the statement. In some cities, the strikes affected all public transport except commuter trains of the Deutsche Bahn railway operator.
The strikes are supported by climate movement Fridays for Future. The activists are planning to hold over 100 demonstrations nationwide in support of transport workers, which could also affect services in certain cities.
The industrial action was triggered by a dispute between about 90,000 employees and over 130 municipal companies. Verdi, among other things, is demanding a reduction in weekly working hours and an increase in vacation pay.