Verdi & Fridays for Future: Demonstration for Traffic Change and Better Public Transport

The climate movement Fridays for Future and the union Verdi took to the streets together in downtown Hamburg to advocate for greater climate protection and the strengthening of public transport. Hundreds of people marched from the union's courtyard at Besenbinderhof to the town hall on Friday. The demonstration was part of the nationwide campaign #WirFahrenZusammen by the climate movement and the union. Due to a 48-hour warning strike at Hochbahn and VHH, buses and trains in Hamburg were at a standstill for the second day in a row.

The traffic transition can only be achieved with better public transport, said Hamburg Fridays for Future spokesperson Annika Rittmann. In light of demographic developments, the necessary staff must be recruited by making the jobs more attractive.

The majority of employees will retire in the next ten years. And if we don't change anything now about how training is paid for and what the working conditions are like, no buses or trains will be running in ten years anyway.

Hamburg is investing more in public transport than ever before, emphasized Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) in front of the demonstrators at the Rathausmarkt. At the same time, he held the federal government accountable. "Because it cannot be that we have to haggle with the federal government over every cent for the 49-euro ticket, have to haggle over regionalization funds." The federal government has a financial responsibility "so that states and municipalities are enabled to finance the expansion of public transport." The current funds are not sufficient for this.