Rail and air workers in Germany stage new round of strikes
Rail workers in Germany stage new round of strikes
Thousands of passengers in Germany faced travel misery on Thursday (March 7) as rail and airport employees staged new strikes demandinghigher wages.
The country has been grappling with ongoing strikes, with workers and management engaged in negotiations amid challenges posed by high inflation and sluggish business activity.
For months, various sectors, including transport, supermarkets and the civil service, have been affected by industrial action.
Rail workers commenced a 35-hour strike on freight services on Wednesday (March 6) at 1700 GMT and on passenger services at 0100 GMT on Thursday.
The extended strike duration aims to emphasise a key demand of the GDL train drivers union—to reduce the working week from 38 to 35 hours.
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Workers in the rail sector have been staging strikes to secure a pay raise that addresses the rising cost of living due to inflation.
A previous train drivers' strike in January caused significant travel disruptions over several days, marking the start of what GDL boss Claus Weselsky called a wave of strikes.
Weselsky asserted that the rail system is no longer a reliable means of transportation, and thatFuture actions will be announced with less than 48 hours' notice.
Deutsche Bahn, the rail operator, has criticised the strike, noting that it has made concessions equivalent to a 13 per cent pay increase.
Simultaneously, Lufthansa ground staff launched a nationwide strike from 0300 GMT on Thursday to 0610 GMT on Saturday. Security staff at Frankfurt and Hamburg airports also conducted a one-day walkout.
Also read:Nationwiderail strikejoltsGermany
Frankfurt, Germany's largest aviation hub, anticipated significant disruptions and flight cancellations throughout the day, leading to the closure of the airport for outbound passengers. The ongoing Lufthansa strike is poised to impact the airline's services at other airports, following a prior one-day strike that grounded 80 to 90 per cent of flights and affected around 100,000 passengers.
The Verdi union, representing workers, is pushing for a 12.5 per cent pay increase and a minimum additional monthly payment of 500 euros ($542).
While Lufthansa has proposed pay hikes over an extended period, they fall short of meeting Verdi's demands, resulting in continued tensions between workers' representatives and management.
(With inputs from agencies)