Train strike – About Pentecost threaten long tailbacks – Frankfurter Rundschau

May 19, 2015

traffic jam on the A5 Frankfurt before. Photo: AP

Because of the railway strike, the streets will be crowded on the coming holidays well. Travelers need to consider where they want to wait – on the road or on the platform.

Because of the railway strike are on the coming holidays probably the streets be crowded. Travelers need to consider where they want to wait – on the road or on the platform.

rail customers and motorists need to be prepared for chaos in long-distance traffic because of new train drivers strike from today. The German railway runs immediately after a Notfahrplan. Especially for the weekend of Pentecost, it should particularly be fully in the few train service, on highways and country roads. The ADAC advises motorists to have their own car on Friday and Saturday are and to travel as far as possible afterwards. “The congestion will start earlier and last longer,” a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

In some states there are at Pentecost not only single days off, but right school holidays. For remote bus operators may lead to shortages because of the great demand for tickets. In regional transport train including the S-Bahn trains can be expected immediately with significant limitations.

The train, caricatures of Thomas Plaßmann

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The members of the train drivers’ union GDL are since Tuesday afternoon in the strike. The walkout began initially in freight transport, since on Tuesday night to even the passenger rest to a large extent. This is the ninth wave of strikes in the ongoing labor dispute in ten months with Deutsche Bahn. “We regret especially that this occurs precisely on Pentecost weekend,” said Bahn board member Ulrich Homburg in Berlin

.

One in three long-distance train to go

The company will try to let go about every third train during the strike over long distances. In regional transport, the railway is expected to be able to maintain a 15 to 60 percent of the offer, which is expected to give the most cancellations in the east. In West Germany, there are from the Federal Railroad period many civil servants train drivers who can not strike. The strike is scheduled to last more than six days – so definitely until after Pentecost. The strike-end is not yet known. The GDL will announce the appointment 48 hours in advance.

The Notfahrplan for long distance service is available on the Internet at www.bahn.de/liveauskunft. The train invites all travelers to be informed before departure about their connection. There is also a free service number (08000 996633). Regional information can be accessed on the Internet at www.bahn.de/aktuell.

Just before the strike began a last attempt had failed on Tuesday still avert the walkout by using a mediation. For this purpose, representatives of the employer and the union in Frankfurt met with the jurist Klaus Bepler, a former judge at the Federal Labour Court. Bepler and his colleagues had tilted in 2010 with its judgments, the Court then accepted the bargaining unit. GDL boss Claus Weselsky said before the meeting that in the event of arbitration, the strike could be completed within 12 to 24.

GDL does not want to negotiate collective unit

The substantive issues are solvable. However, the GDL was not willing to let settle the question of the bargaining unit. It is their fundamental right to conclude a collective agreement for members – “namely matter if deviating from a different collective agreement or not.” The train has been promoting for some time for mediation

. The GDL calls for more money and shorter working hours in the ongoing debate for the train driver. But real bone of contention is the union’s demand to conclude a collective agreement also for other professions, such as conductor or employee of board catering. These are currently represented by the rival Railway and Transport union, at which the web also performs collective bargaining. The Group wants to avoid at all costs that in the future the company shall competing collective agreements. The GDL is under great pressure because of the Bundestag is to vote on Friday on the new law for the bargaining unit. It could cause craft unions as the GDL lose influence.

The industry association BDI assumes that the strike a day can cause economic costs of up to EUR 100 million , Federal Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) pleaded again for mediation in the trade dispute. This way have in Germany a good tradition. “My advice, my request, my invitation is always there, to use this instrument.” Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said: “I believe that a conciliation procedure is unavoidable.”