The strike was called by the Verdi trade union after negotiations with municipal and state employers over wages and working conditions stalled last week. The union is demanding shorter shifts, longer rest periods, and higher pay for night and weekend work, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Major cities including Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen were impacted. In some cities such as Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Freiburg, public transport services were halted for the entire day.
Commuters were forced to seek alternative transport options, with temperatures below freezing in many parts of the country worsening travel conditions.
Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn said S-Bahn urban rail services and long-distance trains continued operating because those workers are not represented by Verdi.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for February 9, with union leaders warning that further strikes could follow if talks fail to produce progress.
