Commuters across Germany faced freezing temperatures and empty platforms on Monday as tens of thousands of public transport workers walked off the job in a strike called by trade union Verdi, shutting down bus and tram services in most cities.

Verdi, which represents nearly 100,000 transport workers, called the strike after talks with municipal and state employers over working conditions stalled last week.

The union is demanding shorter shifts, longer rest breaks and higher pay for night and weekend work even as cities grapple with budget constraints.

In some states, the union is also pushing for pay increases of around 10 percent.

"If we don't go on strike for better conditions, the jobs will remain unattractive, as we have seen in the past few years," Verdi spokesman Andreas Schackert told public broadcaster ZDF.

To make matters worse for commuters, temperatures fell below zero in much of the country, worsening the situation for travelers forced to seek alternative transportation.

Commuters seek alternative transport in frigid temperatures 

The walkout affects about 150 municipal transport companies in all but one of Germany's 16 federal states, including Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.

One of the largest coordinated actions in the local transport sector in years, the strike began as planned, Serat Canyurt, the leading negotiator for Verdi, told RBB radio on Monday, adding that public transport operators were now expected to return to the negotiating table.

In Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Freiburg, services will grind to a halt for the entire day, union officials said.

The strike affects metro services, buses and trams in all states except Lower Saxony. However, mainline and regional trains are still running.

Demonstrations in support of the strike are also planned, including the cities of Hamburg and Saarbruecken.

Still, Deutsche Bahn said Friday its urban railway S-Bahn trains in cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, along with long-distance services, would run as normal on Monday as staff were not represented by Verdi.

Tense talks amid public sector squeeze

Talks between Verdi and employer associations have been tense, with union leaders accusing municipalities of seeking to cut benefits and lengthen shifts.

Berlin's BVG transport operator called the strike "disproportionate" and appealed to Verdi to return to negotiations. Verdi's negotiators in Berlin said operators wanted workers to fund improvements themselves by giving up sick pay and flexible hours.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled for February 9. Union leaders warned that further industrial action could follow if employers do not offer significant concessions.

Monday's strike follows warning strikes last month in several parts of the public sector, as unions sound the alarm over workforce shortages and loss of purchasing power for workers.