Warning strike in local transport: Lower Saxony is at a standstill on Wednesday!

Warning strike in local transport: Lower Saxony is at a standstill on Wednesday!

On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the Verdi union is calling for warning strikes in local transport in several parts of Lower Saxony. The regions affected are Braunschweiger Land, Hildesheim, Lüneburg, Nordhorn, Stade and Verden. In these areas, commuters and passengers have to prepare for significant restrictions on local public transport.

Around 2,500 employees in Lower Saxony's local public transport are called to go on strike. This specifically affects several transport companies, including KVG Braunschweig, Regionalverkehr Hildesheim, KVG Lüneburg, KVG Stade and Verdener Verkehrsgesellschaft. The Nordhorn commercial vehicles and the Ahrendtschild bus companies in Zeven will also be affected by the strikes. The transport company Grafschaft Hoya and Öffis Hameln-Pyrmont GmbH are also the focus of the strikes.

Planned demonstrations and background to the strike

Demonstrations at the transport company depots are planned for the morning in the cities of Cuxhaven, Winsen (Harburg district) and Zeven (Rotenburg district). Loud South German newspaper The strikes were called in response to a collective bargaining dispute with the employers' association AVN. The third round of negotiations on May 5th did not produce any results, which is why a new date was set for May 28th.

Verdi negotiator Heiko Groppe said that the employers' new offer would worsen the collective bargaining conditions for employees compared to other collective bargaining areas. This results in employees standing up for their rights and better working conditions.

Affected and unaffected transport companies

However, the warning strikes do not affect all transport companies in Lower Saxony. In Hanover and Bremen, the transport companies are not affected because they are covered by other collective agreements. There have been similar warning strikes in the past, most recently in April, while the Göttingen region was on strike for three days in March.

The current situation represents a significant challenge for both local transport employees and users, as the strikes are leading to massive restrictions on daily commuter and commuter traffic. However, the union remains committed to representing the demands in the upcoming negotiations.