Public transport in dozens of German cities were still paralysed on Friday evening, as the second round of strikes by the trade union verdi reaches its climax.
Bus, underground and tram services in more than 70 cities and a number of more rural districts across the country were halted or severely curtailed as a result of the strikes, which began in many areas on Thursday.
The strikes ended in Berlin at 2:00 pm (1300 GMT), but are expected to continue in many other federal states until the early hours of Saturday.
The climate protest movement Fridays for Future voiced its support for verdi in the strikes, and called for nationwide protests on Friday to demand greater action to fight climate change, including by investing more in public transport.
Verdi is demanding that public transport agencies improve working conditions for employees across the country, arguing that benefits like improved breaks or more holiday time are needed to win recruits to short-staffed agencies.
Qualified bus drivers are in particularly short supply at many German transport agencies. Workers are also demanding improved pay in some states.
"We are very satisfied," Andreas Schackert, the verdi spokesman for buses and train transport, told dpa on Friday afternoon.
Schackert said that joint demonstrations with Fridays for Future had also been a success.
"We were out and about together in many cities and showed that it's not just about a small interest group of employees fighting for their sinecures but that we need attractive working conditions for reliable and attractive public transport," he said.
It remains unclear whether further public transport strikes could follow in the near future as negotiations are set to resume shortly.
Transit workers in the small western state of Saarland, which sits on the French border, struck a deal on a new contract several days ago.
But a separate ongoing labour dispute between national railway Deutsche Bahn and the GDL train drivers' union could lead to strikes and major nationwide transport disruptions in the coming weeks. The two sides are locked in a bitter collective bargaining talks that have stretched on for months.
The GDL union has staged several strikes, including a protracted work stoppage in January that shut down much of Germany's freight and passenger rail system.
On Thursday, negotiations between Deutsche Bahn and the trade union broke down again, meaning that further strikes now appear likely.
