Warning strikes in the bus industry: bus traffic in Stuttgart paralyzed!

Warning strikes in the private bus industry have begun. According to a report by ka-news.de Many or even all bus routes are likely to be canceled because the Verdi union has informed Verdi about the strikes. A larger turnout than originally expected is reported, but exact figures are not yet known. The Stuttgart trams are expecting cancellations on several bus lines, especially on lines 53, 54, 58, 73, 90, 91 and 99.

The warning strikes are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, with around 30 companies affected. The employees will stop work for a day, some on Thursday and some on Friday. On Thursday, the towns of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Schwäbisch Hall, Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg, Bietigheim, Stuttgart, Böblingen, Hemmingen, Waiblingen and Backnang are among those affected. On Friday, buses in Göppingen, Geislingen, the area around Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, Pforzheim and the Stuttgart area will also be canceled.

Background to the strikes

The background to the warning strikes is the ongoing collective bargaining. The union is calling for a 9% increase in wages and a monthly increase of 100 euros for trainees, for a period of twelve months. In addition, the Verdi union has called for further strikes in the collective bargaining dispute for local public transport (ÖPNV). tagesschau.de reported. Further labor disputes are planned until the second negotiation date on November 11th, with various companies being affected in six federal states, including Baden-Württemberg.

The employers' association (AGVDE) offered a wage increase of 3% from April 1, 2025, without any improvement in the first round of negotiations. Verdi criticized the offer of a 600 euro inflation compensation bonus, which was reduced from the original 1,300 euros. Warning strikes have also taken place in several federal states in the metal and electrical industries.