An unprecedented traffic warning strike is slowing Germany down on Monday. A narrow majority of Germans are understanding. However, only a minority is affected.
According to a dpa survey, a majority of people in Germany are sympathetic to the all-day and comprehensive traffic warning strike next Monday – however, this majority is narrow: around 55 percent of those surveyed consider the joint industrial action by the Verdi and EVG unions to be “rather” or “fully” justified.
This emerges from a survey by the opinion research institute Yougov on behalf of the German Press Agency. A good 38 percent find the action “rather not” or “not at all” justified, eight percent gave no answer.
Respondents find it equally justified and unjustified to attack several modes of transport at the same time.
69 percent probably not affected
However, only a minority is restricted by the effects: A total of 69 percent of those surveyed stated that they would probably not be affected by the warning strike. One in five stated that they felt the effects as a user of buses and trains in local and regional transport. Seven percent were affected as long-distance travelers by train. Two percent expressed themselves as affected air travelers.
According to the survey, those who now have to change their plans deal with it differently: around 28 percent now use their own car as an alternative to the means of travel actually planned. One in four of those affected would like to do without planned trips altogether. Just as many do not yet know whether and which alternatives are being used.
Municipalities criticize warning strike
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities condemned the nationwide traffic strike. “Monday’s strike comes pretty close to a general strike and goes far beyond a warning strike,” said the organization’s chief executive, Gerd Landsberg, of the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday).
For parents with small children, this warning strike is particularly worrying, because Verdi is “also targeting the daycare centers again. The daycare centers have been on strike for weeks, and there is also a high level of sick leave among the educators.” This is a huge burden for families after the Corona horror and often cannot be solved if both work,” added Landsberg.
The chairwoman of the Economic Expert Council, Monika Schnitzer, showed understanding. “We see a collective bargaining conflict here that is neither unusual nor incomprehensible,” said Schnitzer of the “Rheinische Post”. “Last year, employees in Germany had to accept an average real wage loss of more than three percent due to high inflation,” she said. “For this year, too, we expect inflation of 6.6 percent.” Against this background, high wage demands are understandable.
The Verdi union and the railway and transport union (EVG) have called for a major warning strike in the transport sector for next Monday. Long-distance, regional and S-Bahn rail traffic is on strike, as are almost all German airports and local public transport in seven federal states. Shipping is also affected, as is the motorway company.
Source: Stern
