Tariff conflict: GDL warning strike is underway – strong effects for passengers

Tariff conflict: GDL warning strike is underway – strong effects for passengers

The GDL railway union’s warning strike has been going on since late evening. Passengers will particularly feel the effects today. The mood between the collective bargaining parties is bad.

With a 20-hour warning strike, the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) has largely paralyzed rail traffic nationwide since Wednesday evening. Passengers will particularly feel the effects today, the main day of the industrial action.

At night there are hardly any trains, especially for passenger transport. The regular start of operations is early in the morning. Commuters in particular will then have to look for an alternative or work from home. Deutsche Bahn assumes that there will be no regional trains in some regions. S-Bahn traffic in larger cities is also affected.

Far-reaching consequences

In long-distance transport, the group expects more than 80 percent of all ICE and IC trains to be canceled. The consequences are also likely to be far-reaching in freight transport. According to its own information, the railway expects a backlog of several hundred freight trains, some of which have urgent scheduled freight. “After the strike ends, it will take several days until this traffic jam is cleared,” the railway said.

The GDL has announced the official end of the warning strike for 6 p.m. However, it will probably take a little longer until everything is running smoothly again in passenger transport. The aim of the railway is to ensure smooth operations when operations begin early on Friday morning.

Next hearing date still open

It is the GDL’s first industrial action in the ongoing collective bargaining dispute. She demands 555 euros more per month as well as an inflation compensation bonus for a term of twelve months. As a core demand, she also wants to implement a reduction in working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours per week with full wage compensation.

The railway describes this as impossible. In the first round of collective bargaining last week, it promised employees a pay increase of eleven percent over a period of 32 months as well as the required inflation compensation bonus. However, the company did not make an offer regarding working hours.

Nevertheless, both sides agreed on further negotiation dates, initially every week. The next round of talks was scheduled for today and tomorrow. However, after the GDL’s surprising warning strike announcement, the railway canceled the appointment. It remains unclear when the collective bargaining partners will come together again.

Rallies planned

Both sides accused each other of not honoring the agreements reached. The railway called the GDL’s actions “a unique escalation in our social partnership that we do not accept.” The GDL, in turn, accused the railways of having no interest in finding a solution at the negotiating table.

The union has announced two rallies for today, one in Berlin in front of the originally planned negotiation location. The other is to take place in Schwerin together with the German Civil Service Association (dbb).

Source: Stern

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