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German rail workers begin 24-hour strike as pay talks stall

By The Associated Press
Posted 5:23AM on Friday 8th December 2023 ( 5 months ago )

BERLIN (AP) — A union representing Germany’s train drivers began a 24-hour strike Thursday night, causing widespread rail cancellations and travel disruptions across the country.

The strike by the GDL union began on Thursday at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) for passenger services and will continue until 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Friday. For freight trains, the strike began at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Deutsche Bahn, the German railway, said approximately 20% of its long-distance trains would still run on Friday but urged customers to delay unnecessary travel where possible. The disruptions follow a major snowstorm snarled transit in Munich and parts of southern Germany earlier in the week.

This week’s strike came after negotiations between GDL and Deutsche Bahn broke down after only two rounds of talks. GDL is seeking a pay increase, a one-time payment to help counter inflation, and the reduction of weekly working hours from 38 to 35. Deutsche Bahn has said it made an offer that amounts to an 11% raise.

Limited “warning strikes” are a common tactic in German pay negotiations. The walkout follows a 20-hour strike on Nov. 16, when Deutsche Bahn ran a similarly reduced long-distance schedule.

GDL’s strength among drivers and some other railway personnel varies regionally, and some regional services run by private operators aren’t affected by the dispute.

The strike is expected to be GDL’s last for the year, but the union may soon expand its action. GDL chairman Claus Weselsky told the German radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk that strikes in early 2024 could be “longer and more intense” if no agreement is reached.

Trains are parked outside the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, when train drivers of the GDL union went on a 24-hour-strike. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
A train is parked in the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, when train drivers of the GDL union went on a 24-hour-strike. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Trains are parked outside the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, when train drivers of the GDL union went on a 24-hour-strike. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
A woman sits on an empty platform in the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, when train drivers of the GDL union went on a 24-hour-strike. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
A man checks his mobile phone in the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, when train drivers of the GDL union went on a 24-hour-strike. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Travelers get information at the DB information desk; a screen above informs travelers about the strike in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The GDL union said the strike will affect passenger services operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn from 10 p.m. on Thursday until 10 p.m. on Friday. Freight trains will be hit from 6 p.m. Thursday. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
A local train stands at Hamburg Central Station after the start of the strike in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. The GDL union said the strike will affect passenger services operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn from 10 p.m. on Thursday until 10 p.m. on Friday. Freight trains will be hit from 6 p.m. Thursday. (Bodo Marks/dpa via AP)

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