Travelers are in for a stressful week in Germany. In the collective labor agreement negotiation dispute with Deutsche Bahn, the GDL union has called for a 35-hour strike. Passenger traffic starts at 2 a.m. on Thursday. GDL boss Claus Weselsky said on Monday.
In many cases it is unlikely that the plane will be an alternative: the Verdi union is calling for a warning strike at Lufthansa on Thursday and Friday.
Another railway strike
The rail freight strike starts on Wednesday at 6 p.m. In addition, the GDL no longer wants to announce future strikes 48 hours in advance, Weselsky emphasized. “We are starting so-called wave attacks,” he said. “This means that rail is no longer a reliable means of transport.”
It is the fifth labor dispute in the collective labor agreement negotiation dispute that has been dragging on for months. The union broke off the last round of negotiations on Thursday after about four weeks. A self-imposed peace obligation applied until Sunday. “This strike will last a total of 35 hours. 35 hours, so that everyone in the Republic realizes what we are all about: the 35-hour working week,” Weselsky said.
Shortly before, Verdi had called for warning strikes at Lufthansa. All ground staff must stop work on Thursday and Friday. The strike starts at 4 a.m. on Thursday and ends at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday. This will also lead to significant restrictions in air traffic.
The bottleneck with the rail: working hours
GDL and Bahn have been fighting for a new collective labor agreement for months. At the heart 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 in November that the first phase of negotiations had failed and subsequently called for two longer strikes after a strike vote. There had already been two one-day warning strikes.
The GDL unexpectedly ended the latest labor dispute early and met with the railway company in early February for further negotiations behind closed doors. Negotiations also took place over four weeks with external mediators: the former Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière and the Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther. During this time nothing was made public. (saw/sda/awp/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
