Germany: Twin rail and air attacks affect “millions”
March 7, 2024
Millions of people were faced with having to make alternative travel plans on Thursday as parallel transport strikes paralyzed Germany’s rail and air systems.
Employees at national airline Lufthansa and rail operator Deutsche Bahn are demanding higher salaries.
How will the strikes have an effect?
Germany’s regional and long-distance rail network was disrupted when train drivers went on a 35-hour strike over pay.
This strike coincided with a two-day strike by Lufthansa ground staff, with the German national carrier expected to fly only 10% to 20% of its original schedule.
Deutsche Bahn said it expected “major disruptions” on Thursday and Friday, with the aim of returning to normality on Saturday.
With regional transport, the rail operator said it expected the strike – called by the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) – to result in “greatly reduced service”. The company said the extent of the outage varies significantly from region to region.
“GDL’s completely unnecessary strike affects the plans of millions of travelers,” said the operator upon seeing Anja Bröker.
GDL chief Claus Weselsky on Thursday defended the shutdown as inevitable, saying Deutsche Bahn’s proposal contained “a number of points that were globally unacceptable to us.”
In air travel, Lufthansa ground staff are holding a nationwide strike from Thursday to Saturday, while security staff at Frankfurt and Hamburg airports also held a one-day strike on Thursday.
Operations at both centers were expected to be severely damaged.
In Frankfurt – Germany’s busiest airport – operator Fraport said 650 of 1,750 flights planned for Thursday had been cancelled.
What are demanding workers?
The GDL demands a reduction in shift workers’ working week from 38 to 35 hours, with full salary compensation from Deutsche Bahn.
Source: DW
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.