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."

Public transport systems in six German länder have come to a standstill with some 53,000 transport workers taking part in strike action.

The organising union Ver.di said in a statement published this Friday, that "striking is a fundamental right," stressing that freelancers have the right to strike as well, and employers are "forbidden" to take measures against people participating in industrial action.

Ver.di wants a pay rise of €350 per month, as well as three additional days of paid leave.

"We are connected with other public services, and that's why I am hopeful that we will reach our aim," adding that those in power "have to accept that the prices in Berlin are higher.