Strikes are escalating across Germany as unions seek to increase pressure in the ongoing wage dispute for public-sector employees at the state level. Today, unions staged widespread walkouts across universities, hospitals, childcare centers, administrative offices, and transport-related institutions, ahead of the final negotiation session scheduled for Wednesday. Only the state of Hessen remains outside this coordinated action due to its separate bargaining structure.
The latest wave of strikes stretches across nearly all federal states. University hospitals, higher education institutions, and road construction administrations are among the most affected. In several regions, childcare centers and schools are also included in the stoppages. Baden-Württemberg has called all state institutions to join, including universities, student services, museums, public authorities, and even the Stuttgart zoo.
The first day of coordinated action on February 10 led to widespread work stoppages across a broad range of public services. In North Rhine-Westphalia, employees at hospitals in Aachen, Essen, and Cologne walked out. Staff at schools, universities and government offices across the state joined them, creating significant delays and service outages for residents.
In Baden-Württemberg, every public sector employee, from school teachers and university staff to museum workers, student services employees and administrative personnel, was called to strike. Even the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart saw staff participation, highlighting the breadth of state institutions affected.
In Bavaria, workers at all six university hospitals took part, along with staff from universities and colleges. Members of the German Police Union (GdP) responsible for processing fines also walked off their jobs. Officials estimate around 150,000 public sector employees were mobilized in the state, with demonstrations planned in Erlangen and Munich.
In Thuringia, the strike caused widespread education and childcare disruptions. Schools, Kitas, universities and student service centers reduced operations or shut down entirely. Workers in these sectors were expected to gather in central demonstrations across the state.
Meanwhile, in Lower Saxony and Bremen, university hospital staff, employees of port operator NPorts, and state road-construction workers took part in the walkout. Drivers were advised to prepare for temporary road closures, as several bridges and tunnels were blocked due to the strikes.
Hamburg faced significant administrative delays as employees at district offices, the motor vehicle registration authority, police departments and state judiciary services joined the warning strike. Around 3,000 people were expected to participate in a major demonstration at the Elbufer, symbolising dissatisfaction with wage negotiations and employer proposals.
Berlin’s public sector also saw substantial disruption on February 10. Staff at Kitas, schools and district administrative offices stopped work, affecting both childcare availability and administrative access. In Brandenburg, police officers, ministry employees and workers from institutions tied to state ministries took part in the strike. These walkouts further underscored how extensive the public-sector stoppages became across the country.
In Berlin, daycare centers, schools, and district offices are expected to be affected by the strike. According to ver.di spokesperson Kalle Kunkel, a double-digit number of daycare centers will close completely, while many others will only offer limited services. Employees from the fire department, police, and Senate administrations are also expected to join the strike and take part in a large demonstration and rally in Potsdam.
In Brandenburg, police officers, staff from state ministries, and employees of their subordinate agencies have been called to walk off the job. Ver.di also expects many university employees in the state to participate in the warning strike.
The strikes are driven by the negotiation of new collective bargaining agreements for approximately 2.2 million employees. Unions are pushing for:
Unions argue that rising inflation and increased workloads necessitate a fair adjustment, while employers have countered that the demands are currently unrealistic.
Employer organizations have sharply criticized the escalation. Senior representatives argue that striking before meaningful negotiations undermines trust and risks damaging the bargaining process. They have called for legislation to establish clearer rules governing strike conduct in critical public services.
Employer representatives have not yet presented a formal offer, though they have floated the possibility of wage increases slightly above expected inflation, implemented in several stages across nearly two and a half years. Union leaders have rejected this approach, calling it insufficient and overly prolonged.
Still, union officials say compromise is possible, but only if the final agreement is one their members can accept. As the third negotiation round begins in Potsdam, both sides face heightened expectations after days of nationwide strikes and mounting public pressure.
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