Citizens are annoyed by the strikes on trains, buses and air traffic. A reform of the right to strike is met with surprising support – only one group is clearly against it.
No train, no bus, no plane – after the waves of strikes in recent months, the Germans are annoyed. Now the train drivers’ union GdL and Deutsche Bahn are negotiating a collective agreement again. But GdL boss Claus Weselsky has already achieved one thing: a majority of Germans are now in favor of restricting the right to strike.
Reform strike laws, mandate arbitration
Like a Forsa survey for thestar showed that 54 percent of Germans support changes to the right to strike – for example through mandatory arbitration or an obligation to announce a strike in good time. 44 percent are against such plans. In recent days, politicians from the CSU and FDP have suggested changing the right to strike in areas of critical infrastructure.
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These unions benefit most from the warning strikes
The right to strike has not yet been regulated by law in Germany. It is derived from the freedom of association guaranteed in the Basic Law (Article 9, Paragraph 3) and case law. According to this, strikes are a legitimate means of enforcing collective bargaining demands, but must be proportionate.
According to a Forsa survey, the majority of voters from the FDP (80 percent) and the CDU/CSU (66 percent) are in favor of restrictions on the right to strike. In contrast, the majority are supporters of the Greens (58 percent) and the AfD (53 percent). There is a stalemate among the SPD and Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht voters. The situation is similar among those in employment, 50 percent of whom are in favor of changes and 49 percent against. The strongest rejection comes from union members: 68 percent of them are against the right to strike.
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute forsa for stern and RTL Deutschland on March 14 and 15, 2024. Database: 1001 respondents. Statistical margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
