Deutsche Bahn (DB) wants to stop the train drivers’ strike planned from Wednesday. To do this, the company went to the Frankfurt Labor Court, which confirmed a request for an interim injunction (see video above).
A provisional decision could be taken through an accelerated procedure, but a second instance appeal would still be possible. “This strike is not only absolutely unnecessary, but we also believe it is not legally permitted,” said DB Human Resources director Martin Seiler. ‘Because the train drivers’ union lost its negotiating power by setting up the temporary employment cooperative.’ The GDL trade union founded the Fair Train cooperative in the summer. According to chairman Claus Weselsky, drivers should be plucked from the track and hired out to railway companies under their own tariff conditions. However, it is unclear whether there will be enough staff to leave the railway and work for Fair Train.
Multiple conflicts of interest
In any case, Deutsche Bahn views the cooperative as a conflict of interest. Because DB is both an employer and a trade union, DB recently filed a lawsuit with the Hessen Labor Court. Weselsky spoke of the “despair of a socially alienated employer who will not shy away from any means, no matter how absurd.”
However, the strike, which is planned from 2 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Friday, is mainly about a collective labor agreement negotiation dispute. The union is demanding higher wages and shorter working hours for full-wage shift workers. The railway rejects this.
Longer trains with more seats
During two shorter GDL warning strikes last year, the railroad had to cut about 80 percent of long-distance traffic. The effects varied widely depending on the region. This time, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would establish an emergency timetable for long-distance, regional and S-Bahn service, but that it would only provide a “very limited range of trains”. To get as many people as possible to their destination, longer trains with more seats are planned.
Western railway line not affected
“Please refrain from unnecessary travel during the GDL strike and postpone your trip to another time,” the statement said. Westbahn announced on Monday that train connections to and from Rosenheim and Munich were not affected. “The Westbahn took the initiative to find a solution together with the ÖBB to transport affected passengers on Westbahn trains between Salzburg and Munich,” the report said.
Source: Krone
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