France, Feb. 22 -- With Germany gearing up for landmark elections on Sunday, Berlin's iconic yellow U-Bahn carriages have remained at a standstill - along with trams and most buses. Unlike in France, where transport strikes are almost routine, German workers rarely take to the picket lines. So why are Berliners striking and will their efforts pay off?

"We are on strike, because we want to earn more money," says Claudia Kitz, a Berlin tramdriver.

Kitz, and hundreds other transport workers are gathered under the shadow of Berlin's iconic television tower. A loud band and sausages keep the spirits up.

"We earn less than any other drivers in the whole of Germany," she says, telling RFI that she earns "less than €2,000 per month."

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