The German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) has announced a 35-hour strike. In passenger transport, the strike is scheduled to last from 2 a.m. on Thursday to 1 p.m. on Friday. Shortly before this publication, the Verdi union asked Lufthansa ground staff to stop work from Thursday at 4 a.m. to Saturday at 7:10 a.m.
In both cases it is regarding the collective agreements, i.e. pay and working hours as in collective agreement negotiations in Austria. The GDL is not part of the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB). The GDL competes with the railway and transport union organized in the DGB for members, influence and collective bargaining agreements.
The strike on Deutsche Bahn (DB) freight traffic is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and last until Friday at 5 a.m. In addition, the GDL does not want to announce further strikes 48 hours in advance, said its chairman Claus Weselsky: “We are starting wave strikes. This means that the railway is no longer a reliable means of transport.”
35 hours for a 35-hour week
It is the fifth industrial dispute in the collective bargaining dispute that has been ongoing since October. The union broke off the latest round of negotiations on Thursday following around four weeks. “This strike will be 35 hours long. 35 hours so that everyone in the republic realizes what we are regarding: namely the 35-hour week,” said Weselsky.
At Lufthansa, wage negotiations with several unions are stalling. The impact of the upcoming 59-hour ground staff walkout is said to be major. As many aircraft as possible should be kept on the ground. Recently, 80 to 90 percent of the flight schedule was canceled.
Strike costs also in Austria
The ÖBB recommend postponing trips. The federal railways will run some connections to Munich, but the exact information regarding which trains these are was not yet available on Monday. When asked, it is not possible to say how high the costs of the strike will be – especially for canceled night trains.
The Westbahn explained that its trains to and from Munich and Rosenheim as well as via the Deutsche Eck to Tyrol and Vorarlberg will run as scheduled. It takes DB and ÖBB long-distance ticket holders from Munich to Salzburg free of charge.
