As of: December 7th, 2023 6:31 a.m
The train drivers’ union GDL has called for a one-day nationwide warning strike at Deutsche Bahn starting this evening, which will also massively affect northern Germany. In passenger transport, the strike is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.
According to the union’s plans on Wednesday, the nationwide work stoppage will initially affect freight transport from 6 p.m. before long-distance and local rail connections will also be affected from 10 p.m. The strike is scheduled to end after 24 hours on Friday at 10 p.m.
Regional transport in northern Germany is also affected by the train drivers’ strike. In addition to employees of Deutsche Bahn, the GDL is calling on employees of AKN Eisenbahn GmbH and the Transdev Group to stop work. There will be outages, for example, in Lower Saxony on the Nordwestbahn and the S-Bahn in Hamburg and Hanover. Many rail connections are also expected to be canceled and trains will be delayed in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as in Bremen.
Deutsche Bahn tickets can also be used later
There is also information about goodwill regulations and exchange options for tickets that have already been purchased on a website the train. It says that all passengers who had to postpone their planned journey during the strike could use their ticket at a later or earlier time than planned. The train connection for trips planned between Thursday and Friday evenings has been lifted.
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Negotiations broke off at the end of November
With the renewed warning strike, the union wants to emphasize, among other things, the demand for a reduction in working hours for shift workers. GDL boss Claus Weselsky declared the collective bargaining negotiations to have failed on November 24th because, among other things, the railway had not yet signaled any room for maneuver on this point.
The employers are not only ignoring the legitimate needs of their own employees, Weselsky said in a GDL statement: “They are also torpedoing the urgently needed measures for successful personnel recruitment and thus negligently putting the future of the most climate-friendly means of transport, the railway, at risk.”
20-hour strike only in mid-November
The last time the GDL went on strike at the railway was on November 15th and 16th. During this 20-hour work stoppage, a good 80 percent of the long-distance trips that were actually planned were canceled. It was initially unclear whether long-distance traffic would be completely stopped this time. In regional transport, the effects were even more pronounced in some federal states; in some regions there were at times virtually no trains and hardly any S-Bahn.
Clear criticism from Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn has sharply criticized the announced warning strike. A strike so soon after the onset of winter and so shortly before the timetable change is irresponsible and selfish, said Deutsche Bahn’s human resources director Martin Seiler, according to a statement: “Instead of negotiating and facing reality, the train drivers’ union is striking for demands that cannot be met. This is absolutely unnecessary .”
The Pro Bahn passenger association in Lower Saxony and Bremen criticized the announced GDL warning strike as a “provocation for passengers”. Weselsky “apparently doesn’t want to come to an agreement, but is planning a strike,” said Malte Diehl, chairman of the Pro-Bahn regional association, in a statement. In it he once again called for a guaranteed timetable that would also be adhered to during warning strikes – for “a minimum of mobility”.
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GDL demands at least 555 euros more in wages per month
According to Bahn, the GDL is negotiating for almost 10,000 employees of the state-owned company. The previous collective agreement with the union expired at the end of October. The GDL demands, among other things, 555 euros more in wages per month. In addition, the working hours for shift workers should be reduced to 35 of 38 hours per week without a reduction in wages. In addition, a one-off tax-free inflation bonus of 3,000 euros is required. Furthermore, the contract term should not exceed twelve months. The railway rejects the demands as too high. According to them, they would mean a total wage increase of 50 percent.
The railway has so far made an offer that provides for eleven percent more wages and an inflation bonus of up to 2,850 euros – stretched over a term of 32 months. At the same time, GDL members are currently voting on more frequent and longer industrial disputes. The result should be available on December 19th. Indefinite strikes are possible if 75 percent of those voting vote in favor of such industrial action.
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