BERLIN (MNI) – The German train drivers’ union GDL said Wednesday
it will start strikes in freight transportation service this evening at
19:00 GMT and in passenger service at 03:00 GMT Thursday morning.
At 09:00 GMT Thursday, the train drivers will return to work again,
the union said.
On Monday, GDL announced that more than 90% of its members voted
for a full-blown strike to push through their demands in the current pay
round.
In January, the GDL broke off negotiations with the state-owned
railway carrier Deutsche Bahn and six private train carriers. The union
is seeking a 5% pay rise and a sector-wide pay contract in order to
fight wage dumping.
Private train operators are currently paying wages which are as
much as 30% lower than those paid by Deutsche Bahn, according to GDL.
The union wants to reach contract which brings the wages in the private
sector into line with those paid by Deutsche Bahn.
The union’s previous full-blown strike in the summer of 2007 caused
major disruptions in passenger and freight transport.
The managing director of the German Chamber of Industry and
Commerce (DIHK), Martin Wansleben, warned of severe consequences for the
economy in the case of a prolonged train drivers strike.
“Strikes in freight transportation can lead to production
disruptions even after a few days,” Wansleben said in an interview with
German daily Berliner Zeitung published over the weekend.
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com
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