BVG

It is unclear whether the fact that this round of talks was not announced as "negotiations", but as "talks", will improve the chances for results or at least some kind of approximation. More warning strikes are a possibility, according to Verdi, meaning there is pressure.

In the early morning, some trains could not accept any more passengers since they were full. This kind of situation is a regular occurrence in Tokyo or Mexico…

The minute the Equal Pay Day was announced, criticism was expressed, as expected. Some men dared to say they did not want to be discriminated. Others stated…

While the union wants a reduction of working hours to 36.5 hours a week for all 14,000 employees with no loss of pay, as well as Christmas bonuses for new employees and a one-time-payment for everyone, the BVG firmly rejects the demands. The BVG says it would have to employ hundreds of additional drivers if Verdi's demands were implemented.

Berlin's other train system, the S-Bahn, provides a good example of how long it takes from ordering new trains or wagons to actually putting them into service.…

Some Berliners are asking themselves why Verdi did not wait until later in the negotiation process. On the other hand, many residents in the German capital are sympathetic to the strike, even though they are the ones who will get stuck in traffic unless they have a home office job.

At this point, only employees who have been with the state-owned company since 2005 or longer qualify for 36.5 hours, while everyone else does not. Verdi says…

But of course not everyone shares Müller's or the Berlin Senate's opinion. For instance the Berlin Transport Authority is not enthusiastic at all. "People would…