Many train cancellations and delays due to warning strikes
Anyone who commutes or wants to travel on long-distance services must also expect train cancellations and massive delays in Baden-Württemberg this Thursday. The background to this is a warning strike by the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) in the wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn (DB).
It was not initially known how many railroad employees had responded to the GDL's call to strike by the morning. However, a union spokesperson said that the strike was already having a serious impact on train services. A Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman said that she advised all passengers to postpone their journey if possible or to make individual enquiries for their respective routes. This also applies to regional services, where individual routes are operated by private providers such as GoAhead or SWEG.
The GDL had called on its members to go on a 20-hour warning strike at Deutsche Bahn from Wednesday evening. The employees were to strike from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The representatives of the GDL and DB met last week for the first round of negotiations for a new collective agreement. Among other things, the union is demanding an increase of 555 euros per month for employees as well as an inflation compensation bonus of up to 3000 euros. A sticking point is already the demand for a reduction in working hours from 38 to 35 hours for shift workers with full pay compensation.
The warning strikes by the GDL have caused numerous railroad cancellations and delays, disrupting traffic significantly. Additionally, the tariffs imposed due to these strikes might lead to increased travel costs for passengers using long-distance services.
Source: www.dpa.com
