Germans face travel chaos as public transport workers stage nationwide strike

Public transport workers in several German states staged a strike on Friday amid a deadlock in labor negotiations, bringing train, tram, and bus services to a grinding halt and impacting millions of passengers. The strike, organized by the Verdi trade union, has seen varying durations across the country. In Berlin, the strike was set to last 48 hours, with public services expected to resume only in the early hours of Sunday.

The union said the strike aims to gain leverage in the ongoing negotiations over salaries and working conditions.

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Germans face travel chaos as public transport workers stage nationwide strike

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Germans face travel chaos as public transport workers stage nationwide strike

The wage talks involve around 150 public transport companies across Germany's federal states and cover roughly 100,000 employees, with specific demands differing from region to region.

Many employees participating in the strike emphasized that the current salary growth has failed to keep pace with the soaring inflation, leading to a significant decline in their real purchasing power.

"Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, our cost of living in Berlin has indeed increased. For instance, rent, inflation, food, electricity, and energy, everything has gone up in price," said a driver of the Berlin Transportation Stock Company (BVG).

"Basically, everyone I know, including myself, has received a rent increase notice. Everyone is shocked when they go grocery shopping every week because they find the food so expensive. Basically, everyone is affected," said another BVG employee.

According to Verdi, there has been very little progress in the negotiations between labor and management, and it remains unclear when a formal agreement might be reached. This strike marks the second large-scale action in the current round of public transport wage talks. In early February, the first strike paralyzed public transportation across the majority of Germany.

As autumn fades in east China's Jiangxi Province, Poyang Lake's wetlands are attracting large numbers of wintering migratory birds seeking food and shelter for the colder months.

In the Nanjishan Wetland area of Poyang Lake, water levels are receding, revealing mudflats and grassy islets that provide ideal feeding grounds and safe resting spots for migratory birds. Species such as Oriental storks, Siberian cranes, tundra swans, and other waterbirds have started to gather in the area, foraging and preparing to settle for the winter.

Recent monitoring efforts have recorded 34 species of wintering waterbirds in the wetland. To ensure the birds' safety, local authorities are increasing patrols and monitoring activities while reducing human disturbance, helping to create a peaceful habitat for these seasonal visitors.