The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) has announced a four-day strike starting on January 9 at 6:00 p.m. and running until January 12 at 5:00 p.m.
The strike will begin with a protest by freight train drivers on Tuesday, who will then be joined by passenger train drivers from 2 a.m. on Wednesday.
The strike was the result of Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) and the union’s inability to reach an agreement on issues such as reducing working hours from 38 to 35 without affecting wages and the distribution of one-off bonus payments of €3,000 for train drivers to retroactively compensate for inflation. In addition, train drivers are asking for a salary increase of €555 per month.
Train operator DB is advising passengers to delay travel until 12-15 January amid fears of widespread disruption with long-term consequences.
Affected passengers have been told that their original ticket will be valid for carriage at a later date and that alternative routes can be used to reach the final destination specified on the ticket. Moreover, seat reservations could be cancelled at no additional cost.
On top of this week’s railway workers’ strike, road transport in some parts of Germany is also facing tough times as a protest by farmers led to road blockades since Monday morning.
The strikers plan to protest for at least another 8 days, motivated by the government’s decision to cut farm subsidies and tax breaks.
Police reported that roads and motorway exits were blocked in many locations across the country, including at several border crossings with France, causing long traffic congestions.
