Actions go beyond working hours and wages.
German train drivers go on strike at the last minute. The 24-hour strike on public transport began on Thursday night.
The strike is the fourth this year and follows disruptions earlier this week due to heavy snowfall in southern Germany.
Passenger services operated by Germany’s main railway company, Deutsche Bahn (DB), will be suspended until 10pm tonight (Friday).
DB warned passengers to expect “significant restrictions and cancellations”.
The strike was called by the GDL union after negotiations with DB over pay and working hours broke down.
DB, ICE, IC: Which trains will be disrupted?
german railways It operates trains throughout Germany.
Commuter trains in Berlin and Hamburg are damaged.
DB said: “Long-haul, regional and S-Bahn services may be subject to delays or cancellations.”
They said trains would run according to strike timetables and that “only very limited basic services would be guaranteed on DB’s long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services”.
According to the union, the strike does not only affect services operated by Deutsche Bahn.
Other railway companies such as Transdev Group (including Bavarian Oberlandbahn and Nordwestbahn) are also affected.
The last GDL strike resulted in the cancellation of approximately one in five ICE and IC long-distance trains.
Train dispatchers, who coordinate train services across the country, were also called to a warning strike. However, GDL is not strongly represented among them.
You can check the DB timetable here.
What is your advice to passengers?
My advice is to avoid riding the DB train unless absolutely necessary.
Specifically, DB urges passengers to “avoid unnecessary travel during the GDL strike and postpone your trip to another time.”
Refunds: What are the rights of rail passengers?
According to DB, there are various options if your train is cancelled.
- As part of our ‘Special Arrangements’, you can bring your trip forward and leave earlier today. DB recommends starting your trip as early as possible to arrive at your destination early in the evening, as disruption is expected before the official start of the strike at 10pm.
- You can postpone your trip and use your ticket at a later date of your choice. There are no restrictions on when you can use your ticket.
- Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.
- If your train is cancelled, you can get a full refund without any deductions.
See details Click here from Deutsche Bahn.
advertisementWhy do German railway strikes occur?
GDL wants to reduce working hours from the current 38 to 35 hours per week without reducing wages, but Deutsche Bahn has so far refused.
GDL head Klaus Veselski said railway chiefs were “not only ignoring the legitimate needs of their own employees” by refusing to agree to reduced working hours. .
“They are also taking the urgent necessary steps to ensure successful recruitment.”
This “jeopardizes the future of rail, the most climate-friendly mode of transport,” he said.
Martin Seiler, head of human resources at DB, criticized the planned strike as “irresponsible and selfish”.
advertisement“Instead of negotiating and facing reality, the train drivers’ union is striking over unmet demands.”
GDL is also seeking a monthly salary increase of 555 euros for its employees and a lump-sum payment of up to 3,000 euros as a countermeasure. inflation. Deutsche Bahn announced that it had made an offer equivalent to an 11% price increase.
Could there be more strikes in Germany on Christmas?
Limited “warning strikes” are a common tactic in German wage negotiations, but the GDL could soon expand its actions.
The union has already begun voting on its members for a full-scale strike and plans to announce the results on December 19th.
However, the GDL announced yesterday that it will not go on strike again until January 7, 2024.
advertisementThe dispute between the train operator and rival union EVG, which is larger and traditionally less aggressive, was settled earlier this year after both sides accepted an arbitrator’s offer.
