Dhe Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL) started strikes at Deutsche Bahn on Saturday, initially in freight transport. The labor dispute is gradually starting, there is gradually the corresponding feedback from the strike leadership on site, said a GDL spokesman in the afternoon.
Train drivers and workers in the workshops at the DB Cargo subsidiary are called upon to stop work. On request, the railway confirmed that the actions had started. The strike is said to last for more than three days until Wednesday morning. From Monday on, passenger traffic will also be on strike.
Criticism: rail strike completely unnecessary
“A standstill in the improvement of services by the management of the DB leads directly to the standstill of the trains in Germany,” said GDL boss Claus Weselsky on Friday when the strike was announced. DB Personnel Director Martin Seiler described the labor dispute as “completely unnecessary and also completely superfluous.” Everything that is needed for a solution is on the table. “The only thing missing is the GDL’s willingness to negotiate.”
Industry and logistics associations had previously criticized the GDL’s labor dispute in freight transport. Among other things, they referred to the particular loads that the supply chains had already been exposed to during the Corona crisis. “The German economy is only trying to gain a foothold after the corona pandemic,” said the President of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), Rainer Dulger. “That must not be jeopardized by the high economic costs of such a strike.”
More money and better working conditions
The railway did not initially provide any information about the exact effects of the strike at DB Cargo. The group announced that it would be running supply-relevant trains together with external partner railways. Before the second wave of strikes, backlogs were cleared in the shunting facilities and capacities were created to secure train operations in the coming days.
The GDL had already struck freight and passenger traffic for two days last week. Several thousand employees, including those working in the infrastructure, had taken part in the labor dispute and paralyzed large parts, especially of passenger traffic. Millions of travelers are also likely to be affected from this Monday. There are still holidays in many federal states. The railway has again promised to let around a quarter of the long-distance trains run.
The GDL is concerned, among other things, with more money and better working conditions for employees. She is calling for wage increases of around 3.2 percent and a corona bonus of 600 euros in the current year. The railway is ready to pay the 3.2 percent in two stages, but wants to do so at a later point in time than the GDL. There is also disagreement about the form of the company pension.
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