Train drivers in Germany have been called on a six-day strike from Wednesday, the longest so far in the dispute over wages and working hours with Deutsche Bahn (DB), the GDL union announced on Monday.
The GDL criticizes the DB for “relentlessly continuing its policy of refusal and confrontation,” according to a press release. The public rail operator accused the union of having “acted completely irresponsibly” with this new strike.
In passenger transport, drivers stop work at 2 a.m. (1 a.m. GMT) on Wednesday. The freight transport strike will begin at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday, the union said. The movement must end at 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. GMT) on Monday, January 29th.
This is the longest work stoppage initiated by the union to date in the conflicting negotiations with the rail operator's management. German rail workers had already gone on strike at the end of 2023 and three days in a row at the beginning of January.
During these work stoppages, rail traffic was paralyzed across the country. Disruptions in freight transport are associated with high costs for the already struggling German economy.
In addition to salary increases to compensate for inflation, the GDL, which represents around 10,000 employees, is also calling for negotiations on a switch to a 35-hour week over four days.
The public company, which had already proposed an 11% salary increase and an inflation bonus, presented a new offer last week to reduce working hours to 37 hours a week from 2026 with full salary compensation.
“The DB relies on compromises, the GDL aggravates the conflict disproportionately,” said a spokesman for the railway.
For a year now, there has been an increase in social conflicts in various professional sectors in Germany against the background of price increases that are undermining the purchasing power of employees. These demands are also weakening the government coalition under Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which is struggling with record levels of unpopularity.
Last year there was another social conflict between Deutsche Bahn and the railway union EVG, which represents other professional groups in the railway industry and around 180,000 representatives. An agreement was finally reached at the end of August.