German prepare drivers to strike once more as talks falter – DW – 03/04/2024 | EUROtoday

The GDL prepare drivers’ commerce union introduced a 35-hour strike on Monday, saying the measure was unavoidable after the latest breakdown of negotiations on pay and hours.

GDL boss Claus Weselsky stated that the strike would start on Wednesday night for members driving frieght trains, and for passenger prepare drivers from the early hours of Thursday morning.

Weselsky additionally warned that GDL deliberate to accentuate its exercise and that to any extent further it could now not concern 48 hours’ discover earlier than downing instruments.

“We’re starting a so-called strike wave,” he stated at a press convention. “With that, the railways will no longer be a reliable means of transportation.”

A 35-hour strike for a 35-hour week

It’s the fifth set of GDL strikes in a negotating course of that has lasted months. Deutsche Bahn stated that the union broke off the final spherical of negotiations final Thursday after about 4 weeks.

GDL boss Weselsky stated that Deutsche Bahn was in the end answerable for the strike.

One key demand of the GDL that it says Deutsche Bahn is not going to meet is a discount of workers’ normal weekly hours from 38 to 35 with unchanged pay.

“This strike will last a total of 35 hours. Thirty-five hours, so that everybody in the country notices what it’s about: namely a 35-hour week,” Weselsky instructed reporters.

Deutsche Bahn argues not solely that this isn’t economically possible, but in addition that it could exacerbate present staffing and recruitment shortfalls.

Industrial actions hitting a number of public transport sectors

Labor disputes and strikes are inflicting issues for nearly every kind of commuters in Germany at current.

GDL’s strike announcement on Monday got here simply hours after the Verdi commerce union known as for Lufthansa airport floor employees to cease work for 2 days. The strikes will happen concurrently.

Local public transport like trams and buses confronted related disruptions in a lot of the nation.

The German central financial institution stated final month that the strikes might negatively affect productiveness, because it warned the nation appeared prone to enter a technical recession by the top of the primary quarter.

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msh/ab (dpa, Reuters)