The German Train Drivers’ Union called for a “strike wave” starting Wednesday, following unmet demands by the national railway company Deutsche Bahn regarding wages and working hours.
Klaus Weselsky, the union’s president, announced the strike action following stalled negotiations, stating, “With negotiations at a standstill, we launch… a wave of strikes.”
The strike will last for 35 hours, beginning at 05:00 UTC (06:00 local time) on Wednesday for freight trains, and at 01:00 UTC on Thursday for passenger services.
Weselsky emphasized that the strike would highlight that “trains are no longer a reliable mode of transport.”
For many travelers, turning to air travel will not be an option as the Verdi union has called for a warning strike at the German airline Lufthansa on Thursday and Friday.
In the passenger transport sector, Verdi has called for strikes from 04:00 on Thursday to 07:10 on Saturday, with many flights expected to be canceled.
The union added that the freight and technical services sectors, not related to passenger transport, would strike at different times, without providing further details.
Additional strikes will follow at Deutsche Bahn, without the usual 48-hour notice, according to the union official.
The union has called for four strikes, the last of which occurred at the end of January and lasted for approximately six days, marking one of the longest strikes in the history of German rail transport.
During the strike periods, train services were paralyzed across the country. The Train Drivers’ Union is demanding wage increases to offset inflation and a reduction in weekly working hours to 35 over four days, compared to the current 38 hours.
Germany, known for its effective social dialogue, is witnessing an increase in labor movements. Key professional sectors in industry and services have engaged in tense wage negotiations amid inflation, which has eroded employees’ purchasing power.
These social movements are also putting pressure on the coalition government led by Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which is experiencing a significant drop in popularity.
