German train drivers’ union calls for rail strike on Tuesday
Published: Monday, Mar 11th 2024, 04:10
Updated At: Monday, Mar 11th 2024, 04:11
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The train drivers' union GDL has called for a new strike in the wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn (DB). The next GDL strike at Deutsche Bahn will start this Monday for freight traffic. From Tuesday morning, rail travelers - and Lufthansa passengers - will be affected.
Trains on the Swiss rail network will run as planned, as SBB announced on the online portal X, formerly Twitter, late on Sunday evening. The Swiss rail company advised against traveling to Germany during the strike. SBB was unable to adjust the online timetable due to the short notice, it added. Travelers should contact the affected railroads directly to find out about the possible effects.
On Monday evening at 18:00, a 24-hour warning strike by the German trade union GDL starts in the rail freight sector. Passenger services will follow early Tuesday morning at 02:00. This strike is also scheduled to last 24 hours.
The warning strike among ground staff has barely come to an end when the cabin crew union Ufo calls on the approximately 19,000 flight attendants of Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cityline to go on strike this Tuesday and Wednesday. According to Ufo, all departures from Frankfurt will be on strike from 04:00 to 23:00 on Tuesday and all departures from Munich on Wednesday.
Ultimatum expired
The ultimatum to the management of Deutsche Bahn had expired just over two hours earlier on Sunday evening when the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) announced a new warning strike. The head of the union, Claus Weselsky, had previously threatened to give Deutsche Bahn and passengers significantly less lead time in future to prepare for the industrial action.
Deutsche Bahn sharply criticized the last-minute announcement of warning strikes. The GDL is making good on its threat to no longer announce strikes 48 hours in advance, the company announced in Berlin on Sunday evening. "This is a sheer imposition for millions of rail passengers and the economy."
The strike will once again have a massive impact on all German rail operations. Despite the short lead time, DB is trying to offer a basic service again for long-distance, regional and suburban rail services. Accordingly, longer trains with more seats are to be used for long-distance services.
Postponement of trips possible
It also stated that all passengers who have purchased a ticket for a journey on March 12 up to and including March 10 and wish to postpone it due to the GDL strike can use their ticket at a later date. The train commitment has therefore been lifted. In addition, long-distance passengers also have the option of bringing their journey forward and traveling immediately as part of a special goodwill gesture. In general, DB asked passengers to find out about their connection before starting their journey.
Deutsche Bahn had asked the GDL to resume negotiations on Friday. The GDL had expressed its willingness to do so on the condition that Deutsche Bahn submitted a new offer by Sunday evening at 6.00 pm. Deutsche Bahn did not respond and merely renewed its offer to the GDL to resume collective bargaining this Monday. Offers and solutions could be submitted and discussed directly at the negotiating table.
©Keystone/SDA
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