German train drivers set to go on fresh strike on Tuesday

BERLIN

German train drivers have announced a 24-hour walkout on Tuesday in an ongoing dispute with the national rail operator about pay and working hours.

German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) has said the strike on passenger trains will begin on Tuesday 2:00 a.m. local time (0100GMT) and will continue until Wednesday 2:00 a.m.

The national railway operator Deutsche Bahn has sharply criticized the union for staging a short-notice walkout and said it has started to work on an emergency timetable.

The company said its long-distance and regional rail services will be massively affected due to the strike action, and advised passengers to postpone their journey if possible.

The GDL union and Deutsche Bahn have been negotiating for months to reach an agreement on a new collective agreement.

On Friday, Deutsche Bahn invited the union to return to the negotiating table, but did not make a new offer. The GDL had insisted that the company should submit a new, written offer until 6:00 p.m. (17:00 GMT) on Sunday.

In their previous meeting, Deutsche Bahn had offered up to 13% more wages for the employees, and an option model which could reduce weekly working hours from 38 to 37.

But the union, which represents about 10,000 employees, insists on a reduction of working hours to 35 for shift workers, with no reduction in pay.