The EDC announces that it will strike from Sunday. Everything on the tracks is to stand still for a total of 50 hours. Commuters and travelers must expect dramatic restrictions.
Frankfurt — The railway and transport union (EVG) is calling for a warning strike: From Sunday evening, 22 p.m. to Tuesday evening, 24 a.m., rail traffic will be on strike. With the nationwide 50-hour warning strike, the union wants to increase the pressure on the employers' side in the ongoing wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn and 50 other railway companies. For the third time, commuters and travelers have to be prepared for significant restrictions.
EVG calls for strike: From Sunday, rail will be shut down for 50 hours
Long-distance, regional and freight traffic is to be at a standstill for a full 50 hours, as the EVG announced at a press conference on Thursday (11 May). "Since there is little movement at the negotiating tables, there is now another strike," EVG collective bargaining board member Cosima Ingenschay announced on Thursday. "We are on strike for a total of 50 hours, significantly increasing the pressure because the employers leave us no other choice," said negotiator Kristian Loroch.
Strikers from the railway and transport union EVG stand together at a rally. © Bodo Marks/dpa
Collective bargaining in the rail sector has been underway since the end of February. It is the third nationwide warning strike that the EDC has called for since then. In March, together with the service trade union Verdi, it paralyzed large parts of public transport, including most airports, for a day. The second strike in April was limited to a period of eight hours, but also caused many cancellations, especially in long-distance traffic.
EVG announces "far-reaching consequences" – union wants to increase pressure on Deutsche Bahn
"From its own conviction, Deutsche Bahn does not seem to want to present a negotiable offer, obviously considerable pressure is needed to do so. That's why we're now setting a new accent," says Loroch. The members of the EDC are invited to take part in the strike. The union assesses the participation in the warning strike as "high overall". "The consequences will be correspondingly far-reaching," said EDC Vice-Chair Cosima Ingenschay in a statement from the EDC on Thursday. Detailed information on the affected means of transport will be announced.
In the negotiations, the union wants to get at least 650 euros more per month for the employees or twelve percent for the upper incomes over a period of twelve months. Deutsche Bahn, on the other hand, wants to orient itself on the conclusion of the public service, which was achieved at the end of April. Based on this, the state-owned group has initially proposed a tax- and duty-free inflation compensation in several stages of a total of 2850 euros.
EVG strikes from Sunday: Dispute with DB over minimum wage and wage increases
In addition, wages and salaries are to be increased gradually from March 2024: by a total of ten percent for the lower and middle wage groups and by eight percent for the upper wage groups. A crucial sticking point in the negotiations was the statutory minimum wage: Around 2000,<> employees currently receive it at DB only through allowances.
Before negotiating wage increases, the EDC first wants to anchor the minimum wage of twelve euros in the salary scale. Any results of the negotiations would then be credited to these twelve euros. A proposal by the railway, with which the 12 euros should be included retroactively to March of this year in the tables, rejected the union this week. (VK/DPA/AFP)