The train drivers’ union GDL is allowed to continue its massive rail strike. The Frankfurt labor court decided on Thursday evening in an urgent procedure. The largest German state-owned company had accused the GDL and its boss, Claus Weselsky, of violating applicable law with the longest labor dispute to date. Deutsche Bahn went to court on Thursday morning in Frankfurt, the headquarters of the GDL. That same evening, however, the judges rejected the railway’s application and decided that the GDL’s strike targets were not obviously illegal.
For the state company, the decision is a heavy defeat. A spokeswoman for the railway said that the strike was being carried out in the interests of customers and announced that the group would appeal the decision. This is expected to be negotiated this Friday before the regional labor court in Frankfurt.
“The chamber has clearly confirmed to us: the industrial action is legal, it is permissible and it is also proportionate,” said Weselsky after the hearing. “This big cinema is the exact repetition of the story from 2014 and 2015.” The railway had already sued the GDL’s labor dispute in the collective bargaining round at that time and also lost. Weselsky also said the strike would continue until Deutsche Bahn made a “materially reasonable offer”. “If you are looking for compromises, you will find them with us.” His union is “always ready to negotiate”.
The strike was “completely unnecessary”, the GDL had “acknowledged every step that the railway had taken with a blockade,” said the spokeswoman for the railway. One was aware that the hurdles in an urgent procedure were very high and that the right to strike in Germany was very well protected “for good reason”. Nevertheless, the railway sees the responsibility in the interest of its customers “to leave no stone unturned” in order to end this strike. The spokeswoman also noted that, despite the ruling against the railway, the court had dealt with the question of whether the union was actually inadmissibly striking against the law on collective bargaining – “one collective agreement per company”. The railway is working on offering customers a “stable basic offer” in the coming days. From Saturday, long-distance traffic capacities are to be increased to around 30 percent of the normal timetable. So far it is 25 percent. In regional traffic, the target is 40 percent.
For rail travelers, too, the hope that train traffic will normalize well before the planned end of the strike on Tuesday is now vanishing. The most violent labor dispute at the railway had escalated dramatically since Wednesday evening. The railway surprised the GDL with a new offer a few hours before the start of the strikes on Thursday morning. In this offer, the railway had fulfilled demands such as 3.2 percent more salary and a corona bonus of 600 euros, but had stuck to the goal of a zero round for this year. The group also continues to strictly reject the demand for GDL to have more influence in other parts of the company. The offer was “unacceptable” and “poisoned,” said GDL boss Claus Weselsky on Thursday. The railway is about attacking the existence of the GDL. The GDL fears that the law on collective bargaining will cause it to lose its influence, which will only allow the collective agreements of the larger union to come into play.
European supply and supply chains affected
After the dispute in court, the tone between the company and the union could worsen in the coming weeks. Associations are already warning more and more resolutely of the long-term consequences of an even more violent labor dispute. If the railways become unpredictable for their customers, they will turn their backs on the means of transport, warned Gerhard Curth, President of the Railway Customers’ Association. In a letter to GDL boss Weselsky, Curth called for swift negotiations with the railways: “Think of the people who have moved to rural areas and have got rid of their cars, trusting the railways.”
The train drivers have been on strike in freight transport since Wednesday. There is now a backlog of more than 200 trains. “This also means that not all freight trains can be accepted at the borders with Germany,” explained the railway. The GDL strike also affects European supply and supply chains.
There are fair rules for travelers during the strike days. If a train is canceled due to the strike or if passengers miss a connection, they can switch to any other train or return the ticket at no extra charge. Tickets bought on the strike days will also remain valid until September 17th and can be used flexibly. In the case of saver fares and super saver fares, the train connection is canceled. The railway appealed again to its customers to postpone trips in the coming days if possible.