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STRIKES

How strikes in Hamburg are affecting flights and public services

Large-scale warning strikes were taking place in Hamburg on Thursday, with air traffic, hospitals and childcare services all said to be affected.

Published: 23 March 2023 12:24 CET
Striking workers in Hamburg
Striking workers gather outside Hamburg's town hall with a poster saying: "Health is worth its weight in gold. And so are we!" Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marcus Brandt

With tough pay negotiations ongoing, there have been weeks of turbulence in the public sector – and on Thursday, Verdi’s warning strikes arrived in the Hanseatic capital. 

Workers in public-sector jobs were called on strike by services union Verdi under the motto, “We are the city’s gold!” in order to push for double-digit wage increases. 

According to media reports, bin collections, hospitals and the city’s opera house were all operating with limited capacity on Thursday, while most Kitas (daycare centres) were closed or running an emergency service only.

Strikes were also taking place at Hamburg’s main airport, with staff in border control, car park management and maintenance positions all staging a 24-hour walkout.

However, a spokesperson for the airport said operations were largely able to continue as normal as security checks, check-in and baggage and aircraft handling weren’t affected by the strike. 

Kita closures

Some 200 Elbkinder Kitas in the city remained closed on Thursday as part of the industrial action, with a handful running an emergency service only. 

Since private Kitas aren’t part of the public sector, these were running as normal. 

In some cases, afternoon care in schools (Hort) was also affected, though authorities said they hoped to be able to offer some emergency childcare for affected parents. 

Staff at Asklepios Hospitals and the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) also staged a walkout on Thursday, with the action expected to continue into Friday. 

READ ALSO: Strikes: Do parents in Germany receive a day off work when Kitas close?

Fewer bin collections

For Hamburg residents with overflowing bins, the situation could be more extreme: staff at the municipal cleaning service are laying down their tools until Sunday.

According to reports in regional news site NDR, only customers who had made emergency arrangements with the refuse collectors – such as hospitals and nursing homes – will have their bins emptied on Thursday and Friday.

In addition, only three of Hamburg’s twelve recycling centres will be open until Sunday. However, Hamburg Stadtreinigung (city cleaning services) said the collection of yellow recycling sacks and bins would not be affected. 

Opera fans also faced a less impressive spectacle on Thursday night as the State Opera announced that its performance of “Il Turco in Italia” would be pared-back and performed with costumes but no stage set.

Tickets for the show remain valid but customers can exchange them for seats at the May 26th performance if they wish. 

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why are there so many strikes around Germany right now?

Strikes in Munich and across the North

Hamburg is far from the only northern city to be affected by industrial action this week.  

Hospital staff across Lower Saxony downed tools on Tuesday, with other public sector workers following suit on Wednesday. Bin collections, buses and trains and nursery schools were all affected. In the state capital of Hanover, transport strikes continued into Thursday. 

Verdi is also calling for further warning strikes in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein on Friday, including in Kiel, Lübeck and Flensburg. Once again, daycare centres, hospitals, refuse collection and public administration are all expected to be affected.

Buses sit in the bus station during a strike in Hannover.

Buses sit in the bus station during a strike in Hannover. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Moritz Frankenberg

Meanwhile in Munich, a warning strike at the airport was scheduled to take place until 2pm, though airport officials warned passengers that services would only slowly return to normal afterwards.

The walk-out resulted in the closure of some security gates and a number of flight cancellations, with passengers advised to get to the airport early to leave time for delays. 

Collective bargaining

Services union Verdi is currently pushing for a 10.5 percent pay rise for some 2.5 million workers in the public sector – or a minimum of €500 extra per month.

Its negotiators forcefully rejected an offer for a staggered five percent pay rise and will sit down once again with employers between Match 27th and 29th.

“Salaries in the public sector have risen by 3.2 per cent since February 2021 – prices by over 13 percent in the same period,” said Verdi’s district leader Sandra Goldschmidt. “A corresponding increase is therefore absolutely necessary, especially for workers in the low and middle pay groups” 

While so far strikes have largely been regional, Verdi is considering a national day of action on March 27th. 

With rail union EVG also considering taking part in a national strike, there could be travel chaos across the country on Monday. 

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why travel chaos from transport strikes in Germany could get worse

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CULTURE

‘Swiftkirchen’: What you need to know about Taylor Swift’s Germany concerts

Taylor Swift will bring her ‘Eras’ tour to Germany in July for a series of seven shows split between Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg and Munich. From transport to what else to do, here's all you need to know.

Published: 5 July 2024 12:30 CEST
'Swiftkirchen': What you need to know about Taylor Swift's Germany concerts

Swift’s Eras Tour shows have been selling out almost immediately across Europe, but tickets were still available online for her Germany dates on the ticket resale website Viagogo at the time of reporting. Second-hand tickets are going for between €500 – €1,000 or more.

The US-born pop-singer turned billionaire superstar last performed in Germany in 2019, making this her first performance in the country since the release of her latest album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.

The Eras tour is known to be a massive production, with shows running for over three hours and featuring songs from each of her nineteen albums, which have sold a total of 151 million units.

American rock band Paramore will open for Swift at her European shows.

If you’re a fan who is lucky enough to have a ticket – or if you’re living near an arena where Swift will play – here are some things to know.

Three shows in the city formerly known as Gelsenkirchen

Swift’s tour includes three back to back performances in Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins Arena on July 17th, 18th and 19th.

The Ruhr city, little known outside of Germany, is really gearing up to give Swift a warm welcome – even going as far as temporarily renaming itself “Swiftkirchen” after local fan, Aleshanee Westhoff, suggested the name to the city’s mayor and started a petition.

Swift will also receive her own stone on the Gelsenkirchen Walk of Fame, and German news agency DPA reported that a “Taylor Swift streetcar” is already up and running.

Swiftkirchen signs

Local ‘Swifty’ Aleshanee Westhoff shows the “Swiftkirchen” town sign that will be displayed in the city for the coming weeks. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Thissen

For those travelling to Gelsenkirchen for the show, it’s worth making reservations early. Germans are known for booking transport and accommodation tickets well in advance causing prices to soar for those who book at the last minute.

It’s also worth noting that with a population around 260,000, Gelsenkirchen is a small city and can be expected to be running at full capacity when an expected 70,000 Swifties come in every night for three nights in a row.

The nearby city of Essen has more in the way of accommodation and amenities, as do Duisburg or Dortmund which are about an hour away from the arena by train. But if you want to avoid getting stuck in crowded train stations, you’d be better off trying to stay closer to the arena if possible. 

Gelsenkirchen’s public transportation may face some challenges when it’s confronted by an army of Swifties. Recently, the city’s public transportation capacity limits were tested by Euro 2024 fans, many of whom were left waiting at the nearby station for hours after matches.

READ ALSO: ‘Welcome to Germany’ – Euro 2024 travel chaos raises questions about German efficiency

The problem here stems from the fact that there is only one direct tram line (302) connecting the Veltins Arena with Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnof which connects with Essen, Bochum and other nearby cities.

If the 302 trams are too packed on the way to the arena, you could try taking the 301 to ‘Gelsenkirchen Erle Forsthaus’, and then walking a couple kilometres to the stadium or transferring to the 342 bus to the stadium.

Bus lines 380 and 381 also stop at close proximity to the arena, at the Willy-Brandt-Allee and Sportparadies stops. 

There is also plenty of bicycle parking for those who prefer to come on two wheels, and taxi stands can be found around the arena.

If you’re driving to the arena, you can navigate to Rudi-Assauer-Platz 1, 45891 Gelsenkirchen.

Two shows in Hamburg

The Eras Tour will come to Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion on July 23rd and 24th.

Hamburg is always a lively city to visit, but it is bound to be extra colourful when Swifties take to the streets during these days.

The Volksparkstadion is located at Altonaer Volkspark in the northwestern part of the city. Staying in the Altona neighbourhood would put you closest to the arena.

The most direct route from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is on the S5 line, getting off at Eidelstedt and walking a kilometre and a half to the stadium.

But being a bigger city with more public transportation capacity, you shouldn’t have too much trouble navigating from other areas – such as the more central St. Georg or St. Pauli neighbourhoods that are always popular with visitors. 

Of course you should still expect high traffic and crowded transportation around the arena before and after the concert.

Among the warmest months –  in a city not particularly known for summer weather – July can be a great time to visit Hamburg. But it’s also among the city’s wettest months on average, so it’d be wise to pack an umbrella or a raincoat just in case.

Should you find yourself stuck in the rain in Hamburg, here are some rainy weather activities you can try.

Two shows in Munich

The Eras Tour comes wraps up in Germany with two shows at Munich’s Olympiastadion on July 27th and 28th.

The stadium here is located in Olympic Park, and is not far from Munich’s central Maxvorstadt neighbourhood.

Coming from Munich Hauptbahnhof, there are a number of transportation options to get to the concert.

Among the fastest routes are taking the U2 to Scheidplatz and transferring to the 144 bus, or taking the U1 to Rotkreuzplatz and taking the 144 bus from there.

With the concert expected to end around 11 pm, Munich’s famous beer gardens will be closed by the time the show is over, but the city has plenty of trendy bars if you want to keep the party going. 

Should you be compelled to try and sing some of Swift’s greatest hits yourself, the nearby restaurant and bar, Indian Cave, hosts karaoke late into the night on Saturdays.

READ ALSO: ‘World’s largest village’: How foreigners in Germany feel about Munich

‘Swiftonomics’ to give local businesses as boost

The economic impact of a Taylor Swift show is well known, and has even been coined ‘Swiftonomics’.

One study showed that the average spend on tickets, accommodation, food and merchandise per concert goer during the US legs of the ‘Eras’ tour was over $1,300.

Cities and even entire states have reported significant boosts to their GDP – Los Angeles gained an estimated $320 million, while Colorado received 140 million.

Germany’s economy had barely avoided slipping into recession for most of the past year. 

It’s unlikely that Swift’s seven shows will turn around the outlook for Europe’s largest economy by themselves, but local businesses and even the municipalities around the arenas hosting the Eras Tour are certainly hoping for a bit of a boost.

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