BERLIN (MNI) – The German train drivers’ union GDL said Monday that
more than 90% of its members have voted for a full-blown strike to push
through their demands in the current pay round.
GDL leader Claus Weselsky had told the German daily Bild in an
interview published over the weekend that strikes in the country’s
passenger and freight transportation service could start as early as
Tuesday.
The union’s previous full-blown strike in the summer of 2007 caused
major disruptions in passenger and freight transport.
The managing director of the German Chamber of Industry and
Commerce (DIHK), Martin Wansleben, warned of severe consequences for the
economy in the case of a prolonged train drivers strike.
“Strikes in freight transportation can lead to production
disruptions even after a few days,” Wansleben said in an interview with
German daily Berliner Zeitung published over the weekend.
In January, the GDL broke off negotiations with the state-owned
railway carrier Deutsche Bahn and six private train carriers. The union
is seeking a 5% pay rise and a sector-wide pay contract in order to
fight wage dumping.
Private train operators are currently paying wages which are as
much as 30% lower than those paid by Deutsche Bahn, according to GDL.
The union wants to reach contract which brings the wages in the private
sector into line with those paid by Deutsche Bahn.
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com
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