Train travelers and commuters are hit hard in the run-up to Christmas – they have to be prepared for train cancellations and delays again. The train drivers’ union GDL has announced a nationwide strike from Thursday evening.
The strike is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at DB Cargo and will initially affect freight traffic, as the GDL announced. From 10 p.m., long-distance and regional transport staff will be called on to strike.
Bahn expects massive restrictions
The strike is scheduled to last until Friday evening at 10 p.m. – and should therefore also affect weekend traffic. Train travelers, especially in Bavaria, have suffered from the winter chaos following the snowfall in the last few days.
Deutsche Bahn expects “the GDL strike to have a massive impact on rail operations,” as it said in a statement. She announced that she would inform customers as quickly and comprehensively as possible. Impairments are also expected before the warning strike officially begins.
The GDL mainly represents train drivers and train crews on the railway. Dispatchers who coordinate train traffic nationwide are also called on a warning strike. However, the GDL is not strongly represented among them.
Negotiations broken off
The “Spiegel” first reported on the warning strike (external link). With the campaign, the union wants, among other things, to emphasize 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 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. 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.
Bahn: “irresponsible and selfish”
Deutsche Bahn criticized the new warning strike with sharp words. The GDL “spoiled the second weekend of Advent for millions of uninvolved people. 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.
“Instead of negotiating and facing reality, the train drivers’ union is striking for demands that cannot be met. This is absolutely unnecessary,” continued Seiler. The DB called on the GDL to cancel the Advent strike and return to the negotiating table immediately. “We are ready to negotiate at any time and any place,” said Seiler.
The Pro Bahn passenger association criticized the fact that the strike was announced at short notice. “We would like it to be announced two days in advance when the strike will take place so that passengers can prepare for it,” warned Federal Chairman Detlef Neuß. In the most recent case it was only one day. At the same time, Neuß emphasized: “We are not questioning the right to strike.”
What the GDL demands from the railways
For the new collective agreement, the GDL is demanding, among other things, a reduction in weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours with the same wages. DB Human Resources Director Seiler believes the requirement cannot be implemented and argues that implementation would be too expensive. In addition, with fewer weekly working hours, more employees are needed – but these cannot be found in times of skilled labor shortages. GDL boss Weselsky, on the other hand, assumes that jobs at the railway will become more attractive with fewer weekly working hours.
In addition, the GDL wants to expand its scope at the railways and also conclude collective agreements for work areas in which it has not yet been able to demonstrate collective agreements. Specifically, it is primarily about infrastructure companies. Seiler does not believe such contracts are necessary because the GDL is not significantly represented in these areas.
With information from dpa and Reuters