Deutsche Bahn and its passengers are preparing for the next strike by the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) starting Wednesday morning. For long-distance transport, customers can now view the railway’s emergency timetable online, as the company announced upon request on Tuesday afternoon. The usual timetable information on the Internet shows whether a train is running or not. During previous strikes, only around one in five long-distance trains were on the move, and all others were canceled.
The railway also expects significant restrictions on regional transport in the next few days, although the severity will vary from region to region.
The GDL under its boss Claus Weselsky wants to bring large parts of rail traffic to a standstill for around six days. It is the union’s fourth and longest strike to date. Freight traffic is scheduled to start on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. The industrial dispute is expected to last until Monday evening, making it the first time in the ongoing collective bargaining dispute to cover a full weekend.
Significant restrictions for the industry
The railway again called on the union on Tuesday morning to return to the negotiating table. “It is now time to come together, negotiate, find compromises,” said a spokeswoman in Berlin. “We are ready to come together for negotiations and discussions at any time and any place.”
Not only passengers, but also German industry has to prepare for significant restrictions due to the train drivers’ strike. In particular, industries with a high proportion of rail freight have to reschedule. “The announced six-day rail strike is putting a strain on transport logistics in Germany and Europe and thus also on companies in the German automotive industry,” said the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) upon request.
The chemical industry, which also handles a lot of transport by rail, made similar comments. “The companies immediately developed flexible solutions with their customers and logistics service providers,” said the Association of the Chemical Industry when asked. “But these can only partially compensate for the restrictions and delays in rail logistics.”
In addition to financial demands, the collective bargaining dispute primarily revolves around the issue of reducing weekly working hours for shift workers. The GDL wants to reduce this from 38 to 35 hours while keeping the salary the same. The railway has so far offered an option model that provides for a one-hour reduction without financial losses. Anyone who decides against this will instead receive 2.7 percent more money. Union boss Claus Weselsky sees the offer as no basis for further negotiations.
