train drivers Germany The longest strike to date began on Wednesday in the ongoing labor dispute with Deutsche Bahn (DB), which could affect thousands of passengers and devastate rail lines. economy with Losses of up to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).
On Monday, The German Railway Drivers’ Union (GDL) has called for a six-day strike.. The planned industrial action covers passenger transport and will take place from 2am local time on Wednesday (0100 GMT) to 6pm on Monday. The freight train strike began the day before.
German railway strike begins, DB implements provisional timetable
Deutsche Bahn confirmed on Wednesday morning that only one in five long-distance trains were operating on a temporary emergency schedule.
The airline advises passengers to double check in advance whether connections are still in operation and to reserve a seat to ensure a seat, but to consider rebooking their itinerary if it is not absolutely necessary. There is. During a strike, tickets for certain trains can also be used on other services.
The impact of strikes on local services varies by region, with many rural, urban and suburban services run at least in part by private companies such as National Express and Eurobahn.
In the western states, North Rhine-WestphaliaFor example, just over half (42) of regional services were operating as normal, while 41 services were affected by the strike. However, even unaffected services can be affected by strike actions that affect the DB infrastructure.
In Hamburg, traffic coordinators reported an increase in traffic congestion on motorways as morning commuters take to the autobahn. Evening return time may also be affected by planning. farmers’ protestAround 100 tractors will be paraded through the city center ahead of the demonstration at 7pm local time.
Hamburg’s port and logistics operators reported no major restrictions at container terminals as a result of the freight train strike, despite concerns about spillover effects to other sectors of the economy.
New criticism from politicians
Nevertheless, pressure is mounting on the GDL, with politicians from the conservative opposition CDU/CSU calling for tougher laws to make future strikes of this scale more difficult.
“The most important thing regarding critical infrastructure is that the arbitration process must first be completed before we can go on strike,” said CDU lawmaker Gitta Koneman. deutschland funk Radio, not the other way around.
She received support from Martin Huber, general secretary of the CSU, the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, who called for “an appropriate deadline for the strike.”
The unprecedented six-day strike has drawn criticism from other parts of the rail industry, with the Pro Rail Alliance distancing itself from the industrial action and potentially discouraging many passengers from traveling by rail in the future. He said there is. Dirk Frege, the Alliance’s chief executive, called for a tone down “in both words and actions.”
long-term conflict
This is the fourth GDL rail strike since November.. This marks an escalation in the dispute between GDL and Deutsche Bahn over pay and working hours.
This came days after the last strike held by railway employees on January 10th and 12th.
The last face-to-face negotiations between GDL and DB took place at the end of November 2023. The GDL announced on Monday that it had rejected the latest improvements, including salary increases and a lump sum payment to compensate for inflation.
In addition to this, the GDL wants shift workers to reduce their weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours without reducing their pay. Deutsche Bahn has proposed cutting working hours to 37 hours from 2026, but unions say the demand is unfeasible as it would exacerbate existing staffing shortages.
“Strike against the German economy”
“It is not unrealistic to expect total losses of up to 1 billion euros after a six-day strike,” said Tanya Gjöner, managing director of the Confederation of German Industry (BDI).
long-term industrial action “This is a strike against the German economy.” german railways Spokesperson Anja Broker said: “Freight transport handled by this service includes supplies to power plants and refineries,” he pointed out.
However, it added: “DB Cargo makes every effort to ensure the safety of its supply chain, but it is clear that there will be some impact.”
According to Deutsche Bahn calculations, the cost of each strike is expected to be “in the low millions of dollars”, but experts estimate the economic damage could be even worse.
Describing the strike as “destructive” Transport Minister Volker Wissing said it would put further pressure on already strained supply chains. Attack on Red Sea routes By the Houthis in Yemen.
“I think it’s unreasonable for train travelers to stand there with trains blocked when they don’t have a seat at the negotiating table,” Wissing said.
GDL coach Klaus Veselski defended the unprecedented measures as “reasonable, legal and allowed”, adding: “We have to attack harder and longer because… , [DB] Management is not influenced by advice. ”
mfi, mf/msh (AFP, dpa)
While you’re here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what’s happening in German politics and society. You can sign up for his weekly email newsletter “Berlin His Briefing” here.