German train drivers union Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL) on March 8 began a new strike starting at 1700 GMT for cargo services, which was set to last for 35 hours. A strike for passenger rail was set to start at 0100 GMT on March 7.
The union on March 4 announced a new “wave of strikes” after talks broke down with state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG over better pay and a shorter work week, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP)report.
Deutsche Bahn condemned the latest walkout, saying it has made concessions amounting to a 13% pay increase.
GDL
in late January agreed not to stage another walkout until at least March 3
after Deutsche Bahn and the union resumed negotiations (GM Feb. 2, p. 1). Had the union not ended an ongoing six-day
strike, the latest in a series of walkouts, the strike would have been the
longest in the rail operator’s history.
K+S Group and German chemical giant BASF SE were forced to shift some of their
transports from rail to trucks as a result of the action (GM Jan. 26, p. 1).
The country’s BDI industry lobby in January 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 chemicals, steel, automotive, paper, and timber sectors.