Imminent Action Scheduled for Thursday
Strike action looms large for "WSW mobil" employees, the company announced on Tuesday (13th February), implying that a significant portion of their workforce might join the picket lines. This could potentially disrupt public transport services, closing down the WSW Mobicenter, suspending tram services, and rendering unavailable the 'Pick me up! App', Call Collective Taxi, and TaxiBus. Users are advised to stay informed about alternative mobility options or organize carpools. The energy customer centers will remain unaffected.
This work stoppage comes a day before the next round of negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement. The tension between the unions and the employers has reached a boiling point, as ver.di claims that the employers' side dismissed all their demands and introduced counter-proposals in the first round of negotiations.
Peter Büddicker, ver.di's coordinator for buses and trams, shares the concerns, stating, "We're still poles apart. We aim to alleviate employees and reinforce public transport, but the employers are pushing for extended working hours and longer working lives that would only exacerbate the skilled labor shortage!" He also mentions that the initial counter-proposals seem to disregard ver.di's known demands, which they have voiced since early December, hinting at a challenging negotiation process.
ver.di's key demands include relief days for all employees in public transport, identical starting and ending work locations, a bonus for the first day of temporary high-value activities, and shift and rotating shift bonuses for driving services. They also request a 100% annual bonus, overtime from the first minute without any deduction, and a bonus for skilled workers/team leaders based on individual grade.
Unfortunately, there's no concrete information available on the current collective bargaining details between ver.di and WSW mobil specifically. However, I can share some general insights about collective bargaining in public transport or offer a brief background on the groups involved. Given the stalemate and the upcoming strike, it seems we're in for an intense battle in the negotiating room.
The impending strike by WSW Mobil employees could significantly impact the financing of public-transit operations, as the disruption of services might lead to revenue shortages. Extended working hours and longer working lives proposed by the employers, as per the first round of negotiations, could escalate the existing tension in the transportation industry, aggravating the skilled labor shortage.
