German rail freight and passenger services have resumed after train drivers from the Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL) union and state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG resumed negotiations.
The strike had been set to last six days and end on Jan. 29 (GM Jan. 26, p. 1). Freight services resumed on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. local time while passenger services restarted on Jan. 29 at 2 a.m. GDL members have agreed to not stage another walkout until at least March 3, according to a Deutsche Bahn statement cited by Bloomberg.
Had it run its full course, the strike would have been the longest in Deutsche Bahn’s history. The country’s BDI industry lobby had warned that a six-day strike could lead to losses to the German economy of as much as €1 billion (approximately $1.1 at current exchange rates) and cause “enormous problems” for companies, particularly in the chemical, steel, automotive, paper, and timber sectors.
K+S Group confirmed to Green Markets last week that the strikes were affecting the company as Deutsche Bahn is its main rail contractor, but K+S had been able to conduct some transports and/or was able to use other rail companies, or shift to truck transports.
German chemical giant BASF SE, according to a Dow Jones report, was forced to shift railway transports on “a large scale” to trucks as a result of the strike. In normal circumstances, BASF handles about 30% of its transports by rail.
Tensions had escalated after the small but powerful GDL union rejected a third offer from Deutsche Bahn, which reportedly included a €1,500 inflation-adjustment bonus that could be paid in March, according to the report. Base pay as well as reduced working hours are being negotiated. A key demand of the union is a 35-hour work week on full pay, down from the current 38 hours.
“Deutsche Bahn’s willingness to negotiate a reduction in working hours is of central importance,” said GDL Chairman Claus Weselsky, according to the report. “If an agreement is reached, this would be a strong signal for the entire railroad system.”
In other labor news, Finland’s Industrial Union announced new political strikes to take place on Feb. 14-16 involving 60,000 industrial workers, with a large part of the country’s industry expected to come to a “standstill,” according to Bloomberg, citing a statement from the union.
The new action follows this week’s strikes of 200,000 workers opposing the government’s plans to reform the labor market and some benefits. Fertilizer producers Kemira and Yara International ASA are included on the list of affected companies.
Other industrials on the list include ABB, Andritz, BASF, Boliden, Caverion, Enersense, Fiskars, Harvia, Kesla, Kone, Konecranes, Marimekko, Metso, Nokia, Nokian Renkaat, Orion, Outokumpu, Ponsse, Sandvik, Scanfil, SSAB, Stora Enso, UPM-Kymmene, Uponor, Vaisala, Valmet, and Wartsila.