Another strike starts in Germany, this time for a whole week
Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) employees affiliated with the German Train Drivers’ trade union (GDL) are about to go on strike until Monday, 29 January at 6 pm. DB Cargo’s workers will start on Tuesday 23 January at 6 pm, while for infrastructure workers the initiative will begin on Wednesday 24 January at 2 am, as GDL mentioned.
The cause of the strike is the third offer made by DB to GDL throughout these rounds of negotiations, with the latter considering it unsatisfactory and once again calling for industrial action instead. Another strike occurred just a couple of weeks ago, between 9-12 January, with DB trying in vain to appeal against it in various courts. The impact of this walkout was felt also by companies not affiliated with DB or GDL. It remains to be seen if the one that is about to hit Germany will have an even bigger one.
Strikes are getting longer
This will be the fourth round of strikes called by GDL concerning the negotiations with DB for a new collective bargaining agreement. The first one was in mid-November and lasted 20 hours. The second one, in early December, went on for 28 hours. The most recent one mentioned above continued for three full days, and now it will be a week. Considering the recent protests against the federal budget from freight train drivers affiliated with the Die Guterbahnen association, the sector in Germany is at a crossroad with no clear destination in sight.
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Regrettably, not until, Nations, IM:s and Commission, etc…, decisively and sustainably provide for Goal of “Union” – for a big nearby market, for nearness –
the symptoms, frustrations, BREXIT…, etc., and high costs, will remain.
(Now TEN-T, “backbone”…, neither withstands load, nor speed.)
A robust (a resilient and redundant) railway infrastructure, an upgradeable at STAX32, now is needed!
All other modes – and clients – upgrade, for lower costs, etc. An “equal” railway, now is missing!