BERLIN — Germany will face a third nationwide rail strike in less than a month, as the union representing train drivers said it would stage a one-week strike beginning Wednesday.
TheLocal.de reports the GDL union will strike freight services as of Wednesday afternoon, with passenger traffic targeted as of 2 a.m. Thursday. The strike will run through 2 a.m. on Sept. 7.
The GDL is seeking a 3.2% raise for drivers in addition to a 600 Euro ($700) coronavirus bonus, plus another 1.8% increase in 2020. T National rail operator Deutsche Bahn seeks a pay freeze this year, followed by a 3.2% raise split over 2022 and 2023.
The union says other rail operators in Germany have already agreed to its wage demand.
The union staged two strikes in August; in both cases, passenger service was affected for two days.
Greedy union again(a COVID bonus, for what, it’s not like the engineers worked in hazardous conditions of constant contact with the public)…this is part of the reason the RR’s want to go to automated operation…cost reduction.