Dhe chairwoman of the Council of Economic Experts, Monika Schnitzer, has expressed understanding for the nationwide traffic strike by Verdi and EVG next Monday. “We see a collective bargaining conflict here that is neither unusual nor incomprehensible,” said Schnitzer of the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” on Saturday. She referred to the burdens on employees due to high inflation.
“Last year, employees in Germany had to accept an average real wage loss of more than three percent due to high inflation,” said Schnitzer. “For this year, too, we expect inflation of 6.6 percent.” Against this background, high wage demands are understandable.
However, it must also be avoided that “a wage-price spiral drives inflation further,” warned Schnitzer. That is why the federal government has also made tax-free one-off payments from employers to employees possible and decided on measures to curb high energy costs. “I am convinced that the collective bargaining partners will ultimately reach an agreement that is acceptable to all sides,” said Schnitzer.
The Verdi and EVG unions have called for massive warning strikes nationwide for Monday, which, among other things, are likely to paralyze rail traffic to a large extent. In order to counteract delivery bottlenecks, several federal states announced that they would de facto not implement the applicable Sunday driving ban for trucks this weekend. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had previously spoken out in favor of this.
The police in North Rhine-Westphalia will “refrain from checking the Sunday driving ban next Sunday, applying the opportunity principle,” a spokesman for the state interior ministry also told the “Rheinische Post”. “In order to keep the supply chains as stable as possible and not to endanger the supply, we have decided to suspend the driving ban for trucks next Sunday,” said the Rhineland-Palatinate Transport Minister Daniela Schmitt (FDP) in Mainz. There were similar announcements from other federal states, including Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
Trains busier at weekends
The strike announced for Monday is already having an impact on the trains. Deutsche Bahn speaks of a “significantly increased number of passengers and a high utilization of the trains, especially in long-distance traffic”. Travelers are therefore recommended to reserve a seat. “Train passengers are also asked to reach their intended destination as early as possible on Sunday, as there may already be disruptions to rail traffic in the evening,” it said.