Nationwide public transport strike hits Germany

Public transport across Germany ground to a halt on Monday in a strike called by one of the country's biggest unions in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Bitter winter weather and icy surfaces in large parts of the country mean that alternatives for commuters such as walking or cycling are more hazardous than usual.

The Verdi union is pushing for shorter shifts for public transport workers and higher premiums for working evenings and weekends.

It has called on almost 100,000 staff in 150 transport companies to participate in the stoppage.

In some states, the union is also pushing for pay increases of around 10 percent.

"If we don't go on strike for better conditions, the jobs will remain unattractive, as we have seen in the past few years," Verdi spokesman Andreas Schackert told public broadcaster ZDF.

The strike affects metro services, buses and trams in all states except Lower Saxony.

However, mainline and regional trains are still running.

Demonstrations in support of the strike are also planned, including the cities of Hamburg and Saarbruecken.

Berlin's BVG transport operator called the strike "disproportionate" and appealed to Verdi to return to negotiations.

Monday's strike follows warning strikes last month in several parts of the public sector, as unions sound the alarm over workforce shortages and loss of purchasing power for workers.