In freight traffic already on Monday
GDL is calling for a new rail strike on Tuesday
March 10, 2024, 8:13 p.m
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The railway did not respond to the GDL union’s demand for a better offer until Sunday evening. For travelers this means massive cancellations and delays. The train drivers want to stop working again from Monday evening.
The train drivers’ union GDL is calling for a new strike in the collective bargaining dispute with Deutsche Bahn. As the union announced, the passenger transport strike is scheduled to begin at 2 a.m. on Tuesday and end at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. In freight transport, the work stoppages are scheduled to begin on Monday evening at 6 p.m. and also last 24 hours.
The railway sharply criticized the short-term announcement. The GDL is making good on its threat to no longer announce strikes 48 hours in advance, the company announced in the evening. “This is a sheer imposition for millions of rail passengers and the economy.” The strike will once again have a massive impact on all German rail operations. Despite the short lead time, the DB is trying to offer a basic service again for long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic.
Longer trains with more seats should therefore be used in long-distance transport. Due to the limited offering, DB advises reserving a seat early when traveling on long-distance trains. The aim is also to provide a basic service in regional and S-Bahn transport. The extent to which this is possible varies greatly from region to region. There will definitely be massive restrictions in regional transport. In general, DB asks travelers to find out about their connection before starting their journey.
The railway had previously allowed a deadline set by the GDL of 6 p.m. on Sunday evening to submit a new written offer to pass. This would “inevitably lead to industrial action,” Weselsky said, assigning the railway responsibility for what is now the sixth strike in this round of collective bargaining. Shortly before the deadline expired, the railway invited the GDL again to new negotiations to resolve the deadlocked tariff strike. “We are convinced that we will only be able to reach an agreement through dialogue at the negotiating table,” explained their human resources director. In the event of a rejection by the GDL, the company suggested formal arbitration.
Sixth strike in ongoing negotiations
The GDL has already gone on strike five times in the current collective bargaining round; the fifth strike lasting 35 hours only ended on Friday afternoon. Another round of negotiations had previously failed last week. Two moderators – Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther and the former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière – presented a proposal.
The railway then asked the GDL to resume negotiations based on the moderator’s suggestion. However, the union rejected this and described the proposal as unacceptable. The GDL’s core demand in the collective bargaining dispute with the railway is the gradual introduction of a 35-hour week with full wage compensation.