BERLIN
Train drivers in Germany have begun a week-long strike over an ongoing dispute about wages and working hours with the management of their German national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.
Before the strike began, German Train Drivers’ Union, or GDL leader Claus Weselsky announced at a press conference in Berlin on Monday that train drivers would begin the strike on freight trains at 3 p.m. (13.00 GMT) and on passenger trains at 2 a.m. (0.00 GMT) Tuesday.
Weselsky blamed the management of Deutsche Bahn for what he termed as the failure of lengthy negotiations during a 10-month long dispute over wages, working hours and representation.
"The management has applied the tactic of one step forward, two steps back and has put everything into question," Weselsky said.
"The strike will begin today, GDL will not enter into mediation talks," he added.
Weselsky criticized the management for resisting the union’s demands and announcing an alleged loss of €200 million because of earlier strikes.
"With this money all the demands of the union could have been financed for many years," he said.
GDL, which represents 34,000 of Deutsche Bahn’s 196,000 employees, is demanding a right to negotiate a labor agreement for 27,000 of its members who are train drivers and for 7,000 others who are support personnel, and is calling for a five percent pay rise and a reduced 37-hour working week.
Deutsche Bahn criticized the decision of the union for a week-long strike and announced that it was making alternative plans to run as many trains as possible.
The company said online Monday that it would operate a third of its planned long-distance trains, and up to 60 percent of its short-distance trains.
Ingo Kramer, president of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations, also criticized the strike.
"This strike threatens economy with an estimated cost of €100 million daily. GDL’s move is fully disproportionate and irresponsible," Kramer said in a written statement Monday.
GDL has already held seven strikes since September last year.
The current eighth strike will be the longest in Germany’s modern history if it continues for seven days as planned.
GDL announced that the strike would continue until 07:00 GMT Sunday, May 10.
