Labor disputes paralyze rail traffic and large parts of air traffic

Passengers remain on the ground, passengers at the train station: the labor dispute between two unions is currently leading to significant restrictions in rail and air traffic. There is also uncertainty for travelers at Easter.

Thousands of train cancellations, hundreds of canceled flights, millions of passengers and passengers affected: Since Thursday morning, industrial action by two unions has led to significant restrictions in both air and rail transport. Anyone wanting to travel within Germany had to use their own car, long-distance buses, rental cars or ride-sharing companies.

Verdi and the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) did not coordinate their strikes. Both organizations are now focusing on making their strikes and warning strikes as unplanned as possible. Uncertainty for riders and riders continues to increase.

For example, security staff at Düsseldorf airport went on a warning strike on Thursday without any warning. Unlike at the airports of Frankfurt and Hamburg, where Verdi also struck at security checks, the action in Düsseldorf was not announced by the union, the airport and the union said. This should prevent the airport and its partners from preparing for the strike. About 320 takeoffs and landings were scheduled for Thursday in the state capital, according to the airport. Passengers had to expect flight delays and cancellations.

In addition, there was the warning strike of Lufthansa ground crew announced by Verdi. This led to significant restrictions in air traffic, especially in Frankfurt and Munich. The company announced that it would only be able to fly 10 to 20 percent of its original schedule during the strike. The ground crew’s warning strike is expected to last until 7:10 am on Saturday morning.

The railways and passengers had largely prepared for what was now the fifth strike of the train drivers’ union GDL this Thursday. About one in five long-distance trains were in use and stations remained largely empty. Many travelers had brought forward or postponed their trip to a later day. The union had already announced the strike on Monday after failed negotiations behind closed doors in the previous weeks.

But this ability to plan will soon be gone. For the first time in a rail tariff dispute, GDL boss Claus Weselsky wants to rely on so-called wave strikes in the future. The union will then announce rail strikes with significantly less notice, he said a few days ago. The question is whether the railway will then have sufficient time to set up a provisional short timetable as before. Weselsky’s stated goal: to ensure even more unreliability on the rails.

Even at Easter, passengers cannot be sure whether they will be able to travel to their families by train. In any case, Weselsky has not yet agreed to an Easter peace in the stalled rail tariff dispute. “Easter is still a few days away, actually weeks, and that is why I cannot answer that,” he said on RBB Inforadio on Thursday.

The railway strike affects not only passenger transport, but also freight transport. Railway subsidiary DB Cargo, which controls about 40 percent of the rail freight market, has been on strike since Wednesday evening. Experts fear that the labor disputes at Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa will have a significant impact on the German economy. “This is an extra burden that we actually don’t need,” said Clemens Fuest, head of the Munich Ifo Institute, in the ZDF morning magazine on Thursday. “The economy is shrinking, and when something like that happens, suddenly there are parts missing from production that can’t be delivered, or people can’t come to meetings, maybe even to work.”

According to economic expert Michael Grömling from the employer-related Institute for German Economics (IW), a one-day nationwide railway strike alone could cost up to 100 million euros per day in economic output if production and business activities of companies in various sectors are disrupted. . “This also depends on the economic situation and the general functioning of supply chains. In the event of a strike lasting several days, costs may not increase linearly, but rather more sharply.

The railway strike is expected to officially end at 1pm on Friday. But passengers should still expect train cancellations and delays throughout the day. According to its own information, the company will only be able to put the full range back on track on Saturday. Given Weselsky’s announcements, the great uncertainty only begins after the strike ends. There is currently no solution in sight for the collective labor agreement negotiation dispute.

At the heart of the negotiations is the GDL’s demand for a reduction in weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours for shift workers without financial losses. Weselsky even rejected a suggestion from third-party mediators who had proposed a reduction to 36 hours with full pay compensation.

The current labor dispute at Lufthansa will also last until Friday. There is also no compromise in sight in the tariff dispute. Verdi demands, among other things, a 12.5 percent higher salary, but a minimum of 500 euros per month for a term of twelve months. The next negotiations are scheduled for March 13 and 14.

Passengers should also expect strikes from another professional group in the near future. A few weeks before the start of the Easter holidays, flight attendants from Lufthansa and its regional subsidiary Lufthansa Cityline voted to strike on Wednesday in a strike vote by the UFO union. It remained unclear at this time when strikes could be expected. (sda/awp/dpa/lyn)