(de-news.net) – The train drivers’ union GDL has announced a 35-hour strike in passenger transport starting at 2 a.m. on Thursday. Rail vehicles will no longer be used in freight traffic from Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.
The chairman of the GDL, Weselsky, claimed that collective bargaining with Deutsche Bahn had “failed” and spoke of future “wave strikes.” This means that several episodes of industrial action would be implemented one after the other without the GDL making announcementss with 48 hours’ notice. This means that the railway is “no longer a reliable means of transport,” according to Weselsky. He justified his stance by saying that the railway had passed on information to the media and commented publicly on the negotiations.
The GDL will also maintain their so-called core demand of a 35-hour week from 2028 with full wage compensation. Deutsche Bahn explained that the GDL had dogmatically adhered to this demand. Federal Transport Minister Wissing (FDP) had warned against new strikes. He called for a resumption after the peace obligation expired yesterday, and emphasized that maximum demands should be dropped. In the previous week, negotiations between the two collective bargaining parties were broken off without any result.