photo: Archives/Railway
On the second day, the strike of the GDL drivers' union caused serious restrictions on rail traffic. The railway line relies on replacement schedules to mitigate the effects of the strike. Meanwhile, criticism of GDL's approach is growing. Due to the German Locomotive Drivers' Strike (GDL) syndicate, train cancellations and delays continue to occur across the country.
As of Wednesday, replacement schedules apply. As announced by Deutsche Bahn, more long-distance trains could be used today. A total of 220 ICE and Intercity trains are in use - 20 more than the day before, the company said. It was possible to mobilize additional reserves. On normal days, about 800 trains run long distances. With the increase, the number of seats will increase by 15,000 to about 165,000. Before the strike, Deutsche Bahn vacated all seats for reservations. Prior to that, next to single passengers, a seat should be maintained as free as possible; this regulation was introduced during the coronal wave in winter.
As of Wednesday, a very high occupancy rate is expected today. Those who do not have to travel should postpone their journey, asked the railway. As before, the east is more affected by the strike than the west: Especially in the western German regional networks, a few more trains could run today because there are even more civil servant train drivers without the Right to strike do their job. In addition, the GDL is better organized in the east. SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans criticized the GDL's approach. Effective lobbying presupposes "pooling strengths and gaining understanding among travelers," said Walter-Borjans of the editorial network in Germany. "Both will not work if the groups of employees of the railway are divided, and the customers are duped by practically unannounced strike actions." The unions EVG and GDL should pull together, said the SPD leader. "We need an efficient railway with attractive working conditions." The railway had already pointed out the disruption of supply chains yesterday. According to estimates by the German Economic Institute (IW), which is close to the employer, a long-term rail strike could result in economic costs of up to 100 million euros per day. "Short-term failures are not uncommon in rail freight transport, the logisticians know that and can react accordingly," said IW transport economist Thomas Puls to the RND. "From the fourth or fifth day of the strike, however, there is a risk of supply chains breaking - and then it becomes very expensive very quickly." GDL boss Claus Weselsky had already threatened further stoppages yesterday. Railway spokesman Achim Stauß described the strike called by the train drivers 'union GDL as "completely overdone" and called on the workers' side to abandon the labor disputes and negotiate again. At the negotiating table, both sides are already "relatively close to each other," he said in the joint morning magazine of ARD and ZDF. "What needs to be discussed has to be clarified there and not on the passengers' backs." After the failed collective bargaining negotiations, the GDL members voted in favor of the strike. The railway had recently offered the GDL wage increases in two steps: 1.5 percent on January 1, 2022 and 1.7 percent on March 1, 2023, with a term until the end of June 2024. This is not enough for the GDL.
Among other things, she is calling for earlier wage increases and a corona bonus of 600 euros. Company pensions are also being fought for. Because of billions in losses in the pandemic, the railway wants to distribute the increase to later stages, with a contract term of 40 months. In addition, there are pension benefits and the exclusion of redundancies for operational reasons.