New strike halts German public rail services again

New strike halts German public rail services again
By Euronews
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button

The GDL train workers’ union in Germany has begun a new strike that will affect freight and passenger traffic, and it says it may go on for longer

ADVERTISEMENT

The GDL train workers’ union in Germany has begun a new strike that will affect freight and passenger traffic, and it says it may go on for longer that the last one, which lasted six days.

It is the ninth stoppage in ten months, and economists say it costs Germany about 100 million euros a day. It has contributed to dragging German growth figures down in the first quarter, and is driving yet more customers into the arms of private competitors, to which Deutsche Bahn has been losing out for years.

The GDL insists there are real issues of representation to be addressed, but there is also a feeling the GDL is playing hardball to scupper a rail union rival and attract new members.

Only about one-third of long-distance trains are running, and only 10% of traffic is moving in east Germany.

Share this articleComments

You might also like

'We have to be more pragmatic and less bureaucratic,' says Germany's Robert Habeck

German officials break ground for major electric car battery factory

German politician takes to TikTok to compete with far-right AfD