Berlin BVG to strike on March 19 and 20
By Olivia Logan
Transport services run by the Berliner Verkehrsbetrieben (BVG) will come to a standstill for 48 hours on Wednesday and Thursday. Here’s what locals need to know about travel disruption:
BVG strike planned for Wednesday and Thursday
German trade union ver.di has called on members working for the BVG, the local public transport association in Berlin, to strike on March 19 and 20.
Strike action means that U-Bahn, bus and tram services across the city will come to a standstill starting at 3am on Wednesday morning and finishing at 3am on Friday morning. Services may also run irregularly in the hours after the strike ends.
The industrial action will not impact S-Bahn and regional trains since these services are run by Deutsche Bahn.
Why are Berlin public transport workers striking?
The strike planned for Wednesday and Thursday marks the fourth strike that BVG workers have joined since the beginning of 2025. This is because ver.di has been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with BVG bosses on behalf of BVG employees.
Employees haven’t seen a pay rise for several years, resulting in real wage losses. The union is pushing for a gradual rise of 750 euros per month over the next 12 months and a Christmas bonus payment.
Currently, Berlin’s public transport drivers are the lowest-paid drivers across all 16 German federal states, despite the city being the third-most expensive in the country for renting a home.
In the five negotiation rounds which have already taken place, ver.di and the BVG have agreed on pay rises for certain shift workers, and that employees will be able to reduce their working hours from 39 hours per week to 37,5, but have yet to agree on overall pay rises.
Negotiations will resume on March 21. If ver.di representatives and the BVG do not come to an agreement in this round, BVG employees who are ver.di members will vote on whether or not to carry out an unlimited strike. 75 percent of members must vote in favour of unlimited industrial action for it to go ahead.
Thumb image credit: Mummert-und-Ibold / Shutterstock.com
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Editor for Germany at IamExpat Media. Olivia first came to Germany in 2013 to work as an Au Pair. Since studying English Literature and German in Scotland, Freiburg and Berlin she has worked as a features journalist and news editor.Read more