Germany’s dbb beamtenbund union staged a one-day warning strike in Düsseldorf on 29 January, pulling civil servants from state offices, schools and some transport providers into the streets. Although limited in scope, the walkout disrupted morning commuter traffic and forced the municipal foreigners’ authority to cancel 150 residence-permit appointments – a reminder that labour disputes can snarl mobility workflows even when airports remain open.
The strike forms part of the wider TV-L wage round covering 2.2 million state employees. Unions are demanding a 7 percent pay rise; employers have so far offered 4.5 percent plus a one-off bonus. With the next bargaining session scheduled for mid-February, dbb warned of “broader action” if no progress is made.
Amid this climate of uncertainty, VisaHQ can help organisations and travellers stay on schedule by providing up-to-date guidance on German visa and residence-permit requirements, appointment booking assistance and real-time status tracking. Visit https://www.visahq.com/germany/ to see how the platform streamlines document preparation and reduces the risk of delays when local authorities are overloaded.
![Warning strike hits Düsseldorf on 29 January as pay dispute escalates – permit offices and commuters affected]()
For global-mobility teams, the immediate impact is administrative: applicants whose appointments were cancelled now face rebooking delays of up to four weeks, stretching onboarding timelines for new hires. Relocation providers in North Rhine-Westphalia are advising companies to use online appointment systems in neighbouring cities such as Duisburg or Wuppertal as a contingency.
Transport analysts note that while Düsseldorf Airport operations were unaffected, the strike signalled a willingness to broaden industrial action. Should ver.di or dbb call joint strikes in February, security screening and rail services could be hit – echoing the 2025 action that cancelled 3,500 flights nationwide.
With collective bargaining season under way across the public sector, employers are urged to monitor union notices and develop alternative permit-processing strategies, particularly for regions where foreigners’ authorities still rely heavily on walk-in counters.
The strike forms part of the wider TV-L wage round covering 2.2 million state employees. Unions are demanding a 7 percent pay rise; employers have so far offered 4.5 percent plus a one-off bonus. With the next bargaining session scheduled for mid-February, dbb warned of “broader action” if no progress is made.
Amid this climate of uncertainty, VisaHQ can help organisations and travellers stay on schedule by providing up-to-date guidance on German visa and residence-permit requirements, appointment booking assistance and real-time status tracking. Visit https://www.visahq.com/germany/ to see how the platform streamlines document preparation and reduces the risk of delays when local authorities are overloaded.
For global-mobility teams, the immediate impact is administrative: applicants whose appointments were cancelled now face rebooking delays of up to four weeks, stretching onboarding timelines for new hires. Relocation providers in North Rhine-Westphalia are advising companies to use online appointment systems in neighbouring cities such as Duisburg or Wuppertal as a contingency.
Transport analysts note that while Düsseldorf Airport operations were unaffected, the strike signalled a willingness to broaden industrial action. Should ver.di or dbb call joint strikes in February, security screening and rail services could be hit – echoing the 2025 action that cancelled 3,500 flights nationwide.
With collective bargaining season under way across the public sector, employers are urged to monitor union notices and develop alternative permit-processing strategies, particularly for regions where foreigners’ authorities still rely heavily on walk-in counters.
