As of: January 22, 2024, 5:52 p.m
By: Kai Hartwig
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The GDL wants to strike the railways - for the second time in the still young year of 2024. The reactions of rail passengers are rather negative, but there is also support.
Munich – It is now a familiar scenario for many rail travelers in Germany: The German Locomotive Drivers Union (GDL) is on strike.
On the night of Monday (January 22nd), the GDL around its boss Claus Weselsky announced the next work stoppage.
The GDL strike is scheduled to begin on Deutsche Bahn (DB) passenger transport at 2 a.m. on Wednesday (January 24th).
And last a full six days until Monday (January 29th) at 6 p.m.
That would be 136 hours of rail strike - the train drivers' union's previous "strike record" from May 2015 lasted "only" 127 hours.
GDL plans six-day strike: Rail passengers react angrily – “Understanding will run out at some point”
The GDL rejected a tariff offer from Deutsche Bahn.
This may be one of the reasons why the union appears to be receiving less and less support.
GDL boss Weselsky said: “Our strikes are legal, proportionate and permissible.” But there are now increasing critical voices online who can no longer understand the scope of the GDL strike.
We are summarizing reactions to the GDL strike from January 22nd on X (formerly Twitter) for you.
If almost nothing works on the railway because of a GDL strike, travelers have a problem.
© Christian Charisius/dpa
In the event of a strike, rail passengers do have ticket rights that they can exercise in the event of train cancellations or delays.
Many of the X users show no understanding for the GDL's recent rail strike:
“It's getting annoying, we passengers suffer from it and the train drivers already get enough money and want to work less.
How is that supposed to work?"
“Every day, trains and trams arrive late and sometimes fail completely.
Do proper work first before asking for more.
Even without a strike, commuters suffer every day.
You’re risking other people’s jobs!”
“Six days of strike, excessive and partly impossible demands, no willingness to compromise, just a show of force.
My understanding also runs out at some point (and I actually have a lot of it).”
“I'm not saying that the demands aren't deserved - just that they're economically unrealistic.
Furthermore, a strike that lasts six days is simply absurd.
And this was in the same month that a four-day strike took place.”
Yes to the right to strike, but demand for more willingness to negotiate at GDL and Bahn
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“I understand how striking works.
But: I also understand how negotiations work.
And apparently there are no dialogues taking place.
I have no understanding of that.
Six days of strike are no longer worth it to me.”
“A strike is good and right, but if you, like GDL, show no interest in getting together in a large group, it is no longer in the spirit of a strike, but on the way to blackmail.”
“It is undisputed that salaries that are far too high are being lost in administration.
However, the railway approached the GDL with a significantly better offer.
Why is the answer is another strike but no negotiations?
They usually meet in the middle.”
“Both sides are stubborn and neither is willing to seriously negotiate.
But a six-day strike simply cannot be justified.
Imagine if hospital staff and nursing staff (some of whom have worse conditions, by the way) would do something like that.
That would be intolerable.
One, two, even three days ok.
But six is just ridiculous.”
Also understanding for the GDL rail strike – despite the record length
There were also voices who expressed understanding for the GDL strike despite the record length of six days:
“The strike affects the citizens because the railway does not provide a good offer.
I think it’s unfair that this can only be attributed to the railway employees.”
“Based on the bonus payouts from DB-Bahn management, almost every employee strike is at least understandable.”
Strike form from Japan and Australia: Passenger traffic continues without restrictions - but free of charge
Meanwhile, a user suggested an interesting approach as a solution to how the GDL can exercise its right to strike without restricting rail customers' travel plans: “Perhaps we should look to Asia, where during strikes customers are given free rides without a ticket.
Damages the railway and perhaps provides more support.” He was referring to past strikes in Japan in which passenger traffic did not come to a standstill - and even continued without restrictions.
According to a report by
japantoday.com,
bus drivers in Okayama City went on strike in May 2018.
The drivers did not check the passengers and they were able to use the buses for free.
The partial strike in question had negative (financial) consequences, especially for the bus company on strike.
According to brisbanetimes.com.au
, a similar strike
also took place in the Australian city of Brisbane in 2017.
According to a labor law expert, this could also be implemented in Germany.
“Yes, that would be legally possible,” said legal scholar Wolfgang Däubler to
Business Insider
.
“This is a so-called partial strike, in which not all of the work is refused, but only part of the work.” In such a case, claims for damages from the railway against employees are not possible, according to the expert.
However, not all train attendants in this country are members of the GDL and would therefore not be affected by a strike by the train drivers' union.
A partial strike by the GDL, in which ticket checks would be dispensed with and passengers would therefore travel for free, hardly seems realistic in this country.
(kh)