Current:Home > StocksMembers of a union representing German train drivers vote for open-ended strikes in bitter dispute-InfoLens
Members of a union representing German train drivers vote for open-ended strikes in bitter dispute
View Date:2024-12-23 15:11:52
BERLIN (AP) — Members of a union representing German train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to stage open-ended strikes in a bitter dispute with the main national railway operator over working hours and pay, union leaders said Tuesday.
The GDL union said that 97% of members who voted in a ballot authorized fully fledged strikes at state-owned Deutsche Bahn, easily beating the 75% approval required. It said that turnout was more than 70%.
GDL already has staged two one-day “warning strikes,” a common tactic in German wage negotiations. But this dispute has escalated unusually fast. GDL’s chairman, Claus Weselsky, declared last month that negotiations with Deutsche Bahn had failed after only two rounds of talks.
Weselsky has said there will be no strikes before Jan. 8. He left open when and for how long members will strike after that.
“What is coming now will be more powerful, longer and harder for customers” than the walkouts so far, he said.
The central issue is the union’s call for shift workers’ hours to be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week without a pay reduction, a demand at which employers so far have balked.
GDL argues that it would make working for the railway more attractive and help attract new recruits, while Deutsche Bahn says the demand can’t practically be fulfilled.
GDL is seeking a raise of 555 euros ($605) per month for employees plus a one-time payment of up to 3,000 euros to counter inflation. Deutsche Bahn has said that it made an offer that amounts to an 11% raise.
A dispute between Deutsche Bahn and a larger union — EVG, a bitter rival of the traditionally more combative GDL — was settled earlier this year after both sides accepted a proposal by arbitrators.
GDL’s strength among drivers, train attendants and some other railway personnel varies regionally, and some regional services run by private operators haven’t been affected by the dispute. Deutsche Bahn has run a much-reduced long-distance schedule during its previous strikes.
Last week, GDL reached a deal with Netinera, a group that includes several private operators of regional trains, that foresees a gradual move to a 35-hour week for shift workers. That would be reached at the beginning of 2028.
Weselsky pointed to that agreement as he announced the outcome of the ballot for strikes at the far bigger Deutsche Bahn. He said that GDL had committed itself to obtaining “comparable results” elsewhere.
“That means for all the companies we are still negotiating with: we will not let up in obtaining a similar result,” he said.
veryGood! (85616)
Related
- It's about to be Red Cup Day at Starbucks. When is it and how to get the free coffee swag?
- ESPN apologizes for showing video of woman flashing breast during Sugar Bowl broadcast
- 7,000 pounds of ground beef sold across U.S. recalled over E. Coli contamination concerns
- Men staged string of armed robberies so 'victims' could get immigration benefits, feds say
- Kevin Costner says he hasn't watched John Dutton's fate on 'Yellowstone': 'Swear to God'
- Voter challenges in Georgia before 2021 runoff didn’t violate Voting Rights Act, judge says
- Kennedy cousin whose murder conviction was overturned sues former cop, Connecticut town
- Vehicle and human remains found in Florida pond linked to Sandra Lemire, missing since 2012
- Denzel Washington Will Star in Black Panther 3 Before Retirement
- NFL power rankings Week 18: Cowboys, Lions virtually tied after controversial finish
Ranking
- How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
- 'Vanderpump Villa': Watch teaser for Lisa Vanderpump's dramatic new reality TV series
- Taylor Swift cheers on Travis Kelce at New Year's Eve Chiefs game in Kansas City
- Only half of Americans believe they can pay off their December credit card bill
- Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
- Judge allows lawsuit that challenges Idaho’s broad abortion ban to move forward
- Dalvin Cook, Jets part ways. Which NFL team could most use him for its playoff run?
- Rachel Lindsay Admitted She and Bryan Abasolo Lived Totally Different Lives Before Breakup News
Recommendation
-
Pie, meet donuts: Krispy Kreme releases Thanksgiving pie flavor ahead of holidays
-
Forest Whitaker’s Ex-Wife Keisha Nash Whitaker’s Cause of Death Revealed
-
Frank Ryan, Cleveland Browns' last championship quarterback, dies at 89
-
Gun rights groups sue Colorado over the state’s ban on ‘ghost guns,’ which lack serial numbers
-
Trump’s economic agenda for his second term is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates
-
NFL power rankings Week 18: Cowboys, Lions virtually tied after controversial finish
-
Why Michigan expected Alabama's play-call on last snap of Rose Bowl
-
Mountain Dew Baja Blast available in stores nationwide for all of 2024, not just Taco Bell