GDL strike: Massive disruption to rail services nationwide
"The tickets are also valid flexibly at a later date and we naturally expect the trains to be fuller tomorrow," said Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauß on Friday morning in Berlin.
The German Train Drivers' Union had called for a 24-hour nationwide warning strike in freight transport from 6 p.m. on Thursday and in passenger transport from 10 p.m. onwards. The strike was due to end on Friday evening.
Stauß accused the GDL of "uncollegial" behavior. On the one hand, they were still working on getting rail operations in southern Germany back on track due to the winter weather. "At the same time, they have to prepare for the timetable change, which is scheduled for Sunday," said Stauß.
The collective bargaining round between Deutsche Bahn and the GDL officially began at the beginning of November. The sticking point is the GDL's demand for a 35-hour week in shift work - the current figure is 38 hours. Deutsche Bahn rejects negotiations on this and considers the demand to be unfeasible in view of the shortage of skilled workers.
Political scientist and trade union expert Wolfgang Schröder called on Deutsche Bahn to be more willing to compromise. The categorical rejection had "made the strong polarization in this conflict possible in the first place", he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. The 35-hour week was "not a utopian goal".
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities, on the other hand, accused the GDL of selfishness at the expense of the country. "The interests of this small trade union are obviously more important than the functioning of the entire country," Managing Director Gerd Landsberg told Bild. The warning strike had been "scheduled at far too short notice" and citizens and local authorities had had practically no time to "adapt".
GDL boss Claus Weselsky defended the strike. "As sorry as I am for the customers, we have no other choice at the moment," he told the Düsseldorf newspaper Rheinische Post. The trade unionist sees the reduction in working hours as a recruitment measure. In addition, Deutsche Bahn management and HR Director Martin Seiler are not prepared to negotiate collective agreements for train dispatchers.
The GDL would like to extend its jurisdiction and also conclude collective agreements for employees in areas where the competing and much larger Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft (EVG) negotiates the agreements. Deutsche Bahn rejects this with reference to the legal situation. The GDL is demanding that "DB should not apply the Collective Bargaining Unity Act (TEG)", the company explained.
The TEG has been implemented at Deutsche Bahn since 2021. This means that only the collective agreements of one trade union apply in a company, namely the one with the most members in the company. According to information from Deutsche Bahn on the 2023 collective bargaining round, the EVG agreements were last valid in 282 of the 300 companies at Deutsche Bahn and those of the GDL in 18 companies.
The train drivers want to fight even harder. Parallel to the warning strikes, a ballot of union members is being held on more frequent and longer strikes. The result is to be announced on December 19. However, there will be no further strikes over the holidays; Weselsky has announced a strike break until January 7. "But after that, the strikes will be longer and more intense," he told the BR radio station.
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- The GDL strike impaired rail traffic significantly, leading to a shortage of S-Trains in Southern Germany.
- Despite the GDL strike, Achim Stauß advised passengers to use their tickets flexibly on Saturday, anticipating fuller trains.
- The Union of German Locomotive Drivers announced a nationwide warning strike due to the ongoing collective bargaining round with Deutsche Bahn.
- The GDL strike disrupted Sunday's timetable change preparations, causing further difficulties for Deutsche Bahn.
- Claus Weselsky, the GDL's leader, argued that the strike was necessary due to Deutsche Bahn's refusal to negotiate on the issue of a 35-hour week in shift work.
- Deutsche Bahn claimed that the shortage of skilled workers made the GDL's demand for a 35-hour week unfeasible, a point of contention in their negotiations.
- Political scientist Wolfgang Schröder criticized Deutsche Bahn for its inflexibility, stating that it had contributed to the strong polarization in the conflict.
- Gerd Landsberg, Managing Director of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, accused the GDL of prioritizing its interests over the country's functioning during the warning strike.
- The GDL strike led to train failures and impairments, causing disruptions to rail traffic nationwide, as reported in the media.
Source: www.stern.de
