Source: Reuter; Logfret Germany
Date: 31st August 2021
Germany’s GDL train drivers’ union said on Monday it would go on strike on Sept.1 for a week after wage talks with rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) failed to yield a compromise.
The strike, the third and longest in the current wage dispute, will affect freight services from Wednesday afternoon while passenger traffic will be affected from the early hours on Thursday. The strike will run until Sept. 7.
“This is one of our longest strikes,” said GDL chief, ruling out open-ended industrial action.
GDL, which has already held two strikes in August, is demanding a 3.2% increase for drivers in addition to a coronavirus bonus of 600 euros.
Deutsche Bahn has said that it is ready to meet the wage rise demand but that the two sides could not agree on when the increase should go into effect.
“A negotiable offer is on the table,” Deutsche Bahn’s HR chief said in a statement. “Wage agreements cannot be dictated.”
According to Sebastian Bischoff from Logfret Germany, the rail strike might cause a huge delay in all cargo traffic within Germany because all “direct-trucking” companies are taking over the cargo and containers which are supposed to be transported by rail/truck combination throughout Germany.
The capacities are already very fully booked with “direct-trucking” companies before the strike, and now with the strike, the situation worsen. Backlog and ongoing problems will occur after the strike ends.
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact our Logfret team in Germany.