As long as the signs in DB point to a strike, significant effects on rail transport in Austria can be expected. In the interests of customers, as was said on Saturday, she filed a lawsuit. The nationwide wake-up strike announced by the rail and transport union (EVG) was disproportionate and harmful to customers and uninvolved third parties, it was said to be the reason.
In the conflict over the current collective agreement, the DB has offered a pay rise of more than ten percent and has approached the union several times, it said on Saturday. However, they are joining the warning strike. The urgent request to the court is “in the interests of the clients now needed”, the DB said.
Railway strike in Germany
As of Sunday, the union in Germany has announced a 50-hour warning strike. This will bring all rail traffic in the country to a standstill.
Long-distance traffic completely stopped, almost no regional trains
As of 22:00 on Sunday, the EVG called the third warning strike on the railways this year and will again paralyze train circulation. Shortly after the announcement, DB decided that it would completely stop long distance traffic for the duration of the strike. In regional and freight traffic, there are likely to be almost no trains between 10 pm on Sunday and midnight on Tuesday. “DB long-distance traffic and local traffic will be affected early Sunday evening,” the railway’s website said on Saturday.
APA / AFP / Christof Stache stoppage on German tracks – last in April
As the EVG has also called on signal box workers to stand down, it is likely that rail companies that are not doing business with the EVG will also be hit. EVG and 50 railway companies have been discussing new collective agreements since the end of February, and negotiations are at a standstill. The negotiation round reaches 230 thousand employees, of which 180 thousand are from DB.
EVG asks the industry for an additional 650 euros per month or twelve percent for the higher yield with a twelve-month term. Among other things, Deutsche Bahn promised one-off payments free of taxes and fees, as well as incremental increases of ten percent for low- and middle-income groups and eight percent for high-income groups. There is disagreement over a minimum wage, which so far has only been paid in the form of bonuses to around 2,000 employees.
Longest rail strike since 1994
According to political scientist Alexander Gallas of the University of Kassel, the announced 50-hour strike is the longest warning strike by Deutsche Bahn in Germany since its reform in 1994. However, warning strikes lasting one to two days are quite common in other industries, said Galas. “50 hours is a short and clearly defined period. But the effects are very noticeable for the population. So it works for a long time.” Gallas considers the warning strike quite proportional in relation to other industries.
APA/AFP/Jan Woitas Long distance traffic is disrupted and there are severe restrictions on local traffic
majority against it
However, according to a survey, one in four citizens in Germany “doesn’t understand anything” about it. In the survey, only 19% of those involved showed full understanding of the labor dispute. Additionally, 26% said they “quite understand” the action in the current wage conflict, also 26% “don’t understand”. Five percent of respondents provided no information.
ÖBB also expects significant consequences for Austria
Due to the strike from Sunday night until Tuesday night, “there will be no cross-border trains to/from Germany during this period, and train traffic within Germany will also be largely suspended,” the ÖBB website said on Saturday under the title “Germany strike alert”.
And further: “Daytime traffic in the Austrian countryside between Salzburg and Tyrol via the German curve is also affected by the restrictions. We ask all affected travelers to postpone non-essential travel to Germany or choose alternative travel options. The time changes will be gradually updated in the ÖBB Scotty time information.”
German Corner Bottleneck
Rail traffic between Salzburg and Tyrol via the German Corner will be mainly affected by the strike, and a rail replacement bus service will be established (adding: “valid travel document required”). “A significant increase in travel time of up to two hours can be expected”, the list of canceled or shortened connections according to ÖBB is relatively long.
According to ÖBB, night trains (Nightjet and EuroNight) are also affected by the strike measures. “There will be failures, partial failures and deviations.” On the night from Sunday to Monday, night trains to/from Germany, Belgium and France and to and from the Netherlands could not run. Nightjet to Paris is already canceled from Saturday night to Sunday. Only on the night from Wednesday to Thursday, night train traffic will be possible again as planned. Local trains are partly operated as track replacement services. According to the ÖBB, rail freight traffic to and from Germany must also be stopped.
The DB said on Friday: “We have approached EVG again and confirmed that the minimum wage issue would not fail.” The DB met the EVG requirements individually. “What else should we do as an employer?” said DB HR Director Martin Seiler.