The warning strike is over: railway traffic resumes with virtually no restrictions

NFollowing a 20-hour warning strike by the German Union of Locomotive Drivers (GDL), rail traffic in Germany has been largely running smoothly since the early hours of the morning. “Long-distance and commuter trains have been running almost universally on normal schedules since service began early this morning,” the railroad said Friday morning. The warning strike ended on Thursday evening at 18:00. However, it took several hours before rail services resumed at full capacity. Train cancellations and delays were also reported in the evening and on Friday evening.

In the trucking industry, however, the effects of the labor dispute are likely to be felt a little longer. Even before the warning strike ended, the railroad announced it could take several days before a traffic jam of hundreds of freight trains due to a labor dispute is cleared. Nevertheless, after the warning strike, she drew a positive conclusion: the emergency schedule worked reliably. In some cases, regional transport and urban rail could offer even more trips than originally planned.

By launching a 20-hour warning strike, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania attempted to increase pressure in the early stages of ongoing collective bargaining with Deutsche Bahn. The union is demanding, among other things, an additional €555 per week and an inflation compensation supplement for twelve months. The stumbling block, however, is the requirement to reduce the working hours of rotational workers from 38 to 35 hours a week with full compensation of wages. The railroad rejects this as impossible.

The first round of talks ended last week without any agreement on content. The next meetings were scheduled for this Thursday and Friday. However, the railways canceled the call after the ON declared a warning strike. The next tour is scheduled for the end of next week in Berlin. It was initially unclear whether this would happen.