Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, considers the stress caused by the strike at the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) on Friday morning to be “bearable”. The SPD politician, who is also chairwoman of the BVG supervisory board, said on Tuesday that she was confident that a good solution could be found in Berlin. “The BVG is prepared for this.” The board knows that changes are necessary. “In this respect, I think what lies ahead on Friday will not be so pleasant for everyone who drives BVG,” said Giffey. “But I think from three o’clock to ten o’clock, that will be bearable.”
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The BVG board received feedback that the start of the discussions was very positive. “The BVG is prepared to take steps in terms of working conditions, flexibility and financing,” said the senator. Verdi has called for warning strikes nationwide. However, in view of the positive negotiations in Berlin, it was decided to limit the strike period.
Giffey said she was not in a position to criticize the warning strikes. “But I think that whatever happens in terms of strikes, you also have to take into account how the negotiations are actually going. My signals are that the negotiations in Berlin have good signs.”
The negotiations in Berlin are about the collective agreement for working conditions and not about wages. In the negotiations with the BVG, Verdi is demanding longer turnaround times on all lines, holiday pay of 500 euros per year or 33 days of vacation for all employees without graduation. Verdi described the start of negotiations last week as sobering. The employer side was unable to make a clear statement on any of the demands.
Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, considers the stress caused by the strike at the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) on Friday morning to be “bearable”. The SPD politician, who is also chairwoman of the BVG supervisory board, said on Tuesday that she was confident that a good solution could be found in Berlin. “The BVG is prepared for this.” The board knows that changes are necessary. “In this respect, I think what lies ahead on Friday will not be so pleasant for everyone who drives BVG,” said Giffey. “But I think from three o’clock to ten o’clock, that will be bearable.”