In passenger traffic it will start at 2 a.m. on Thursday and end at 1 p.m. on Friday. In many cases, the plane is unlikely to be an alternative: the Verdi union is calling for a warning strike at AUA parent Lufthansa on Thursday and Friday. The strikes are also likely to be felt in Austria.
The strike in Deutsche Bahn freight traffic is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and last until Friday at 5 a.m. In addition, the GDL no longer wants to announce future strikes 48 hours in advance, emphasized Weselsky. “We are starting so-called wave strikes,” he said. “This means that the railway is no longer a reliable means of transport.”
Collective bargaining conflict has been going on for months
It is the fifth industrial dispute in the collective bargaining dispute that has been going on for months. The union broke off the latest round of negotiations on Thursday following around four weeks. A self-imposed peace obligation applied up to and including Sunday. “This strike will last a total of 35 hours. 35 hours so that everyone in the republic realizes what we are regarding: namely the 35-hour week,” said Weselsky.
Shortly before, Verdi had called for warning strikes at Lufthansa. All ground staff should stop work on Thursday and Friday. The walkout is scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. on Thursday and end at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday. This will also lead to significant restrictions in air traffic.
The crux of the week’s working hours
GDL and Bahn have been fighting for a new collective agreement for months. The crux of the matter is the union’s demand for a reduction in weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours for shift workers without financial losses. The GDL declared the first phase of negotiations to have failed in November and then called for two longer strikes following a strike vote. There had already been two one-day warning strikes.
The GDL unexpectedly ended the latest industrial dispute early and met with the railway company for further negotiations behind closed doors at the beginning of February. Negotiations also took place for four weeks with external mediators – the former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière and the Schleswig-Holstein Prime Minister Daniel Günther. Nothing was made public during this time.
