No train, no bus, no plane, no ship: Even if employers try to take countermeasures, passengers nationwide have to be prepared for the fact that they will probably not be able to reach their destination on Monday. Because at the beginning of the week, not only the employees at the airports, like in Munich today, will stop working, but practically the entire transport sector.
Train strike: Long-distance and regional transport affected
Verdi is calling 120,000 employees nationwide from Monday 00.00 a.m. to a 24-hour strike, the railway and transport union (EVG) is calling for 230,000 bus and train workers: a joint strike like the one last seen in the early 1990s and the effects of which are more than goes well beyond a “normal” warning strike.
It affects not only Deutsche Bahn, but also the 50 private operators with whom the union is currently negotiating. That means: Long-distance and regional traffic are affected throughout Germany.
In Bavaria, the EVG’s strike call applies not only to the DB but also to the Bavarian Regiobahn, Agilis and the Länderbahn. The Alex and “Go Ahead” are not on the strike schedule; but even with these two operators, problems could arise for logistical reasons.
Bavaria’s local transport is also (largely) closed
In local transport, employees in almost all larger Bavarian cities have been called to walk out – Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg, Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Fürth, Erlangen, Ingolstadt, Passau and Landshut have been officially confirmed.
For the state capital of Munich, the decision on warning strikes in local public transport is still pending, according to Verdi. In any case, the Munich transport company is expecting the strike. This time, in addition to the subway, bus and tram, the S-Bahn would also be affected. As on the two strike days at the beginning of March, MVG is trying to maintain at least part of the regular service.
Upper Bavaria: If you usually have to go to the bus, you can usually leave it on Monday
Even those who are otherwise dependent on the bus in Upper Bavaria have bad cards in many places. Where Regionalverkehr Oberbayern GmbH (RVO) is responsible for the timetable, the buses remain in the depot on Monday. This also applies to numerous municipal transport companies – and many school buses.
The Landsberg am Lech and Rosenheim district offices have already issued appropriate advance warnings. After all, private bus companies are usually not affected by the strike.
There are also strikes on roads and waterways
Other warning strike targets are the Autobahnmeisterei Fischbach, Kempten and Niederbayern, and the Autobahn GmbH des Bundes in Rosenheim, Munich and Niederbayern; also the Waterways and Shipping Office in the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria.
A small ray of hope: the fear that some sections of the route – especially tunnels – would have to be closed because they could no longer be monitored has been dispelled by the motorway company with reference to emergency service agreements. “In particular, the operational service on the federal trunk roads must be maintained,” it says.
The additional traffic, which otherwise disappears in buses and trains, is likely to cause greater problems for motorists. Many wheels will also stand still on the streets – in traffic jams.
Air traffic: The MUC starts on Sunday
So there are strikes on land, on water – and in the air, i.e. at the airports in Munich and Nuremberg.
In the state capital, the employees even stop work one day earlier, i.e. on Sunday and Monday. The airport expects massive restrictions for “probably around 200,000 passengers”.
737 take-offs and landings were planned at Munich Airport on Sunday and 772 flight movements on Monday. Passengers who have planned a flight to or from Munich on these two days should contact their airline.
With information from dpa and AFP