Trains are already rolling again
Deutsche Bahn announces “largely normal operations”.
03/27/2023 8:53 p.m
The 24-hour warning strike by the unions hits millions of travelers, but there is no great chaos. Deutsche Bahn expects traffic to return to normal quickly. In regional traffic, operations start up again on the day of the strike, just like with the S-Bahn in Berlin.
After the strike by the railway and transport unions on Tuesday morning, Deutsche Bahn expects “largely normal operations”. “Both the long-distance trains and the trains of the regional and S-Bahn traffic will mostly run according to plan,” said the group. The strike by the railway and transport company (EVG) and Verdi had been announced for 24 hours from midnight on Sunday to Monday. Shortly before midnight, the first long-distance connections failed completely. On Monday afternoon, a message from Deutsche Bahn said that regional traffic would gradually start up again in some areas – i.e. before the 24 hours were up.
“Although the interlockings are still on strike, trains can run again on some lines. However, far-reaching restrictions must also be expected in the evening,” the company said. S-Bahn trains were running again in Berlin from the afternoon. According to previous announcements, the strike should only last until 3 p.m. there.
The railway and transport union (EVG), together with Verdi, had called for a nationwide warning strike in the transport sector for Monday in the respective collective bargaining conflicts. With the warning strikes, the unions want to increase the pressure on employers.
Negotiations started in Potsdam
Verdi and representatives of the civil servants’ association dbb met in Potsdam on Monday for the third round of collective bargaining, which is scheduled to last three days. However, the outcome is uncertain, the fronts have hardened for a long time. The employee representatives are demanding a significantly improved offer. If no agreement can be reached, arbitration could help. However, if this also fails, there is a risk of open-ended labor disputes.
The next date for the negotiations between the EVG and around 50 companies from the railway and transport industry is not until the end of April. So far there has been one round of negotiations, which the EVG was not satisfied with. The trade unionists rule out strikes up to and including Easter.
Goodwill rules apply to Deutsche Bahn passengers. Long-distance customers can use their ticket booked between March 26 and 28, 2023 flexibly up to and including Tuesday, April 4, 2023.