As per reports, the collective bargaining negotiations between the Berlin Transport Company (BVG) and the Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (Verdi) trade union have failed, leading to the announcement of a 48-hour strike. BVG employees are set to walk out between Wednesday (26 March) and Friday (28 March), significantly disrupting public transport in the city.
• The strike will commence at approximately 0300 hours (local time) on Wednesday (26 March), and will continue until the start of operations at 0300 hours (local time) on Friday (28 March).
• During this period, subway, tram, and several bus services operated by BVG will not function. However, the Berlin S-Bahn (suburban rail) and Deutsche Bahn’s regional train services will operate normally. Additionally, some BVG bus lines managed by external service providers will remain unaffected.
• The strike comes at a critical time for Berlin’s traffic situation. The ongoing closure of the A100 ring railway bridge has already caused severe congestion in the western part of the city. With no alternative subway services, road traffic is expected to deteriorate further.
• The S-Bahn, which may serve as a substitute, has already experienced frequent disruptions in the past week, resulting in significant delays and cancellations.