Today, German train drivers initiated their longest strike yet, in a labor dispute with Deutsche Bahn that is set to impact thousands of passengers and potentially cause up to €1 billion in economic damage.
The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) had called for a six-day strike on Monday. The strike started at 2:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Wednesday for passenger traffic and a day earlier for freight trains. This marks the fourth rail strike since November and an escalation of the dispute over salaries and work hours.
The GDL seeks to reduce weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours without a salary reduction. Deutsche Bahn proposed a one-hour reduction without a salary drop or a 2.7% raise if a train driver maintains the 38-hour week, in addition to pay rises of up to 13% and a one-off inflation bonus. The union rejected this offer.
Tanja Gönner, managing director of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), warned that losses could total up to €1 billion. Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman Anja Broeker described the prolonged industrial action as "a strike against the German economy," affecting supplies for power plants and refineries. Transport Minister Volker Wissing described the strike as "destructive," adding pressure on already overstrained supply chains due to attacks on Red Sea shipping routes by Houthis in Yemen.
Source: dw.com