Apprehension in Germany as railways workers prepare for major disruption

Admin l Wednesday, April 19, 2023

BERLIN – A strike by German rail workers represented by the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) is set to cause severe disruption on Friday morning.

Long-distance and regional traffic will largely come to a standstill, at least in the first half of the day.

On the railways, Deutsche Bahn has already prepared its passengers for “considerable restrictions.” Martin Seiler, the company’s board member for human resources, said in Berlin on Wednesday that  “everyone who can reschedule should do so.”

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The day before, Verdi had announced all-day work stoppages at the three airports Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf and Hamburg in the aviation security area, passenger control, personnel and goods control and service areas. “Longer waiting times and even flight cancellations are to be expected,” the union warned on Tuesday. The aviation industry criticized the renewed walkout.

The fact that there will be strikes in the air and rail transport sectors at the same time on Friday is a coincidence, EVG negotiator Kristian Loroch said. Unlike the coordinated, large-scale warning strike in the transport sector at the end of March, the two unions had not agreed on Friday beforehand.

EVG is demanding at least €650 ($710) more per month or 12% for the upper incomes for the employees, as well as a duration of twelve months.

Independent arbitrators proposed a solution to the public sector wage dispute last weekend. The unions intend to negotiate the proposal with the federal government and local authorities at the end of next week.