The FDP calls for a notification period and emergency operation in the event of work stoppages.
The ongoing intense labor standoff between the GDL and the German Railway has a follow-up. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) intends to curtail the right to strike, including introducing a notification period and a cooling-off phase.
A report suggests that the FDP parliamentary group is working on a plan aimed at restricting the right to strike in the public infrastructure sector. According to a position paper, the FDP proposes a notification period and a 72-hour cooling-off phase during labor disputes. This has faced strong opposition from the Left.
According to the Proposal of the Labor and Social Affairs Working Group, a 50% emergency operation should be maintained during strikes in the public infrastructure sector. Additionally, warning strikes should be capped at four working days, as reported by "Table.Media." As a response to the months-long strike at Deutsche Bahn (DB) in the context of the wage dispute with the GDL, calls for reforming the right to strike from the FDP have grown louder.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has also voiced his support for such a move. At the end of March, he stated that the way the GDL conducted their labor dispute should not "set a precedent." The position paper suggests introducing a mandatory conciliation agreement that lays out the course of the procedure and the appointment of mediators, with a failure to find a resolution resulting in a neutral institution appointing a mediator. The proposal is currently under internal voting within the FDP.
The Left Party has expressed sharp criticism, with its Chairwoman Janine Wissler saying on Tuesday morning that the FDP's plan potentially represents "the biggest attack on the right to strike in decades." She claimed that this advancements would violate the German Constitution, stating that the right to strike often serves as the only means for employees to negotiate on an equal footing. Wissler also expected the SPD and Greens to "curb the actions of their coalition partner" in this matter.
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The FDP's proposal to limit strikes in the public infrastructure sector, including a notification period and a cooling-off phase, has been met with opposition from The Left. During the ongoing strike at Deutsche Bahn, the GDL, there have been growing calls from the FDP to reform the right to strike.
