Deutsche Bahn passengers must prepare for another strike from Monday to Wednesday. The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) has called on its members to stop work for the second time in the current round of negotiations with Deutsche Bahn. “They are on strike for higher wages, to protect their pensions,” – GDL leader Claus Weselsky said in Berlin on Friday. Anger among members toward management is high, he said.
The strike of rail workers in freight transport has already started Saturday afternoon. In passenger transport, the strike is scheduled to begin at 2 a.m. Monday and end at 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Last week the strike lasted two days
Last week the GDL went on strike for two days at Deutsche Bahn for long-distance and local transport. Deutsche Bahn arranged an emergency timetable, but most courses had to be cancelled nonetheless. In freight transport, the strike lasted several hours longer.
The new strike will likely affect millions of passengers, including many traveling on vacation. This is because there are still school vacations in ten German states.
The German Train Drivers’ Union wants wage increases
Among other things, the GDL is fighting for better wages and is demanding wage increases of around 3.2 percent, as in the public sector, as well as a Corona bonus of €600 this year. Unlike the larger rail and transport union (EVG), it does not want to agree to a wage freeze this year.
Deutsche Bahn criticized the announced strike by the GDL drivers’ union as a “completely unnecessary” burden on passengers. “This second holiday strike shows: the collective bargaining partner consistently refuses,” announced personnel director Martin Seiler on Friday. “Instead of having the courage to return to the negotiating table, the GDL management is taking its union-political struggle for expansion and influence to the extreme on the backs of rail customers.”
Deutsche Bahn offered a raise
Deutsche Bahn has offered GDL 3.2 percent, but the raise is to take effect later than the union has demanded. In addition, the two sides are still clearly at odds over the duration of the collective agreement.
The GDL broke off negotiations in June. The members then voted in favor of strike action. On Tuesday, members of the GDL and the German Federation of Civil Servants (dbb) demonstrated together with Weselski in front of Deutsche Bahn headquarters.
source: rp-online.de