Future of public transport in Lüneburg: MOIN brings uncertainty for employees!

Future of public transport in Lüneburg: MOIN brings uncertainty for employees!

In the Hanseatic city of Lüneburg there are serious concerns about the coming changes to local public transport (ÖPNV). In a recent statement, the United Services Union (ver.di) expresses its concern about the developments, particularly with regard to the planned takeover of bus operations by the Mobility Infrastructure and Operations GmbH (MOIN) from January 1, 2026. According to ver.di This could have far-reaching consequences for employees in public transport.

KVG Lüneburg, previously the operator, received a lottery ticket after a settlement before the public procurement chamber and thus secured around 100 jobs. But the professional future remains uncertain for around 350 employees in bus operations. Union secretary Stefanie Klaus is therefore calling for binding planning security for all employees. “It is the responsibility of politicians to make working conditions fair,” she emphasizes.

Unregulated future

What exactly these “various ideas about the future of jobs” mean remains unclear for the time being. While the KVG offers good collective agreements, some of its competitors only have wages regulated by collective agreements. “This could lead to a dismantling of standards that have been fought for over decades,” Klaus continued. Without clear tariff protection and social standards, stable local transport in the region is unthinkable.

The situation is particularly explosive as the new transport services are due to start at the beginning of the year. This creates additional pressure and uncertainty throughout the collective. Employees could face serious cuts in their working conditions as a result of the tenders and the associated change of operators.

Collective agreements in view

The conditions for employees in public transport are regulated by the TV-N sectoral collective agreement, which is concluded between ver.di and the municipal employers' associations. This affects many professions in the public transport sector - from bus drivers to vehicle mechanics. The collective bargaining regulations include, among other things, pay scales and requirements for classification into pay groups. The regulations on working hours and conditions are also part of the collective agreements. You can find out more about this on kommunalforum.de.

For the KVG employees, it could be crucial whether the applicable standards and high quality requirements are maintained under the new operator MOIN. While the union's committees are already working on a concept, ver.di is calling for binding regulations before the start of operations to guarantee safety and fair working conditions.

A look into the future

In summary, it can be said that many questions remain unanswered in the Lüneburg district. The upcoming changes in public transport bring with them uncertainties for employees that could not only affect their professional existence, but also the quality of public transport in the region. In all of this, there is a great appeal to politicians to take the interests of employees seriously and to create clear perspectives. This is the only way to ensure reliable and well-equipped local transport in Lüneburg in the future.

For further information about KVG Lüneburg's current timetables and offers, please visit the website KVG Lüneburg.