Enlarge image
Scoreboard during the rail strike in Düsseldorf
Photo: Michael Gstettenbauer / imago images / Michael Gstettenbauer
SPD boss Norbert Walter-Borjans has criticized the actions of the train drivers' union GDL in the current rail strike. Effective lobbying presupposes "bundling forces and gaining understanding among travelers," said Walter-Borjans of the editorial network in Germany. "Neither will succeed if the groups of employees of the railway are divided and customers are duped by practically unannounced strike actions."
The SPD is traditionally close to the trade union.
Walter-Borjans also emphasized that his party was on the side of the employees at the railway, who "undoubtedly belonged to the systemically important employees."
"A salary structure in which railway executives allow themselves whopping bonus payments, but the payment of train drivers apparently offers no incentive to fill the many vacancies, inevitably generates resentment," said the SPD chief.
The GDL and its rival union EVG would have to pull together, however,
The train drivers' strike brought rail traffic to a standstill in many places on Wednesday.
The strike announced by the GDL had already started on Tuesday evening in freight traffic, and on Wednesday night it was extended to passenger traffic.
Also on Thursday, customers of Deutsche Bahn have to prepare for delays and train cancellations.
As on the previous day, only around 25 percent of the long-distance trains are to run according to a special timetable.
In the West German regional networks in particular, a little more trains could run again because there are even more civil servant train drivers who do not have the right to strike.
Because of the higher degree of organization of the GDL in the east, there were hardly any trains between Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden on Wednesday.
In its emergency timetable, Deutsche Bahn had already canceled three quarters of the IC and ICE trains in order to be able to run the other connections stably.
This should continue until Friday.
According to the GDL, the strike should then be ended for the time being.
In the next week, the union wants to decide how to proceed.
Economy warns of high damage
According to estimates by the German Economic Institute (IW), which is close to the employer, a long-term rail strike could result in economic costs of up to 100 million euros per day.
"Short-term failures are not unusual in rail freight transport, the logisticians know that and can react accordingly," said IW transport economist Thomas Puls to the RND.
"From the fourth or fifth day onwards, however, there is a risk of supply chains breaking - and then it becomes very expensive very quickly."
Markus Jerger, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Enterprises (BVMW), also warned of serious consequences. "Now is not the time for strikes to the detriment of businesses and citizens," he told the RND. The economy is only just recovering from the forced closings. “The companies pay the bill for the GDL boss's addiction to profile.” He calls on the opponents to “return to the negotiating table as quickly as possible and approach one another”.
The GDL is calling for wage increases of around 3.2 percent, as in the public sector, as well as a corona bonus of 600 euros in the current year.
The term of the collective agreement is to be 28 months.
There is also a struggle for company pensions.
Due to billions in losses in the pandemic, the railway wants to distribute the increase to later stages, with a contract term of 40 months.
In addition, there would be benefits for old-age provision and the exclusion of redundancies for operational reasons.
dab / dpa / Reuters
