After a three-day strike in Saxony's regional transport sector, buses, streetcars and Elbe ferries are expected to run as planned again on Saturday morning. "After the end of the night shifts, we assume that traffic will resume as normal," the responsible Verdi union secretary Sven Vogel told the German Press Agency. However, further warning strikes are possible until the next round of negotiations in May. There is still no improved offer from the employers' side. Since Wednesday morning, employees of regional transport companies in several districts and in the cities of Dresden and Chemnitz - with the exception of the municipal transport companies - have been on strike. Commuters, especially in rural areas, had to expect cancellations, and some companies set up emergency timetables. In addition to higher wages, Verdi is demanding better regulations for working hours in shift work and more time off in lieu in the wage dispute. Among other things, the employers have offered pay rises of two percent this year and two percent next year, pointing to the limited financial leeway in municipal budgets. From the union's point of view, this is not enough to prevent real wage losses. Verdi negotiator Vogel referred to the wage agreement reached in Bavaria on Thursday and called on employers to follow suit. In Saxony's neighboring state, the union and the municipal employers' association for local public transport have agreed on a total pay increase of seven percent this year and next. The next round of negotiations between Verdi and the local transport employers' association (AVN) in Saxony is scheduled for May 12. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reservedAgreement in Bavaria as a model?
