Germany Faces Nationwide Public Transport Strike as Wage Talks Stall

Millions of commuters across Germany are bracing for significant disruption as public transport workers prepare to strike on February 27 and 28, 2026. The strike, called by the Verdi union, impacts local buses, trams, and trains in most German cities and towns, as negotiations with employers over wages and working conditions remain deadlocked.

Strike Details and Impact

The 48-hour strike will begin in the early hours of Friday, February 27th, and is expected to continue through Saturday, February 28th, potentially extending into Sunday night in some regions. Approximately 100,000 workers at around 150 public transport operators are participating in the industrial action [Reuters].

Even as Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance ICE, IC, and EC trains, as well as regional RE and RB trains, are expected to operate as usual, S-bahn lines that connect to local transport networks will likely be affected [Reuters]. This follows a previous strike earlier in February that brought public transport to a near standstill in many municipalities [Barron’s].

Commuters are advised to expect increased road traffic as more people opt to drive, and ride-hailing services may see a surge in demand [Barron’s].

Union Demands and Negotiations

Verdi is negotiating on behalf of employees at approximately 150 public transport operators across Germany, including major cities like Berlin and Hamburg [Economic Times]. The union is seeking improvements to working conditions, including adjustments to working hours and shift work, allowances for night and weekend work, and salary increases.

“The negotiations are hardly making any progress, even though there have been four rounds in some areas,” stated Christine Behle, Verdi’s deputy chair. She emphasized that “public transport services cannot continue to function in the long term if we don’t make decisive improvements” [Economic Times]. In some states, Verdi is requesting salary increases of around ten percent.

Potential Further Disruption

Separately, the Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL) is currently in talks with Deutsche Bahn. If an agreement is not reached this week, further strikes at Deutsche Bahn are possible next month, potentially impacting S-bahn networks and long-distance rail services [Barron’s].