Railroad workers in Germany start a six-day strike over pay and hours

Passenger train drivers in Germany quit their jobs on Wednesday and vowed not to return for six days in a strike over working conditions and pay that is expected to halt most long-distance and commuter traffic across the country.

The strike, one of the largest in years on the national railways, was announced on Monday by Claus Weselsky, the chairman of the GDL, a union representing German train drivers. Mr Weselsky said at a brief news conference that negotiations with railway bosses had failed and accused the national rail company's chief negotiator, Deutsche Bahn, of “deception and deception”, especially over the latest offer.

The rail strike, the fourth in two months, comes amid the risk of reduced funding for the rail system following a court ruling that stopped the government from repurposing money from a coronavirus pandemic fund for green projects. It also comes amid a trend of deteriorating performance of German trains. More broadly, there is general dissatisfaction with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government, which is plagued by infighting and seen by some as far removed from the problems faced by mainstream Germans.

This time the strike will last the entire weekend, affecting more holidaymakers than recent previous strikes, which took place during the week and lasted no longer than three days. Freight train drivers started the strike on Tuesday evening.

About 7.3 million people Deutsche Bahn trains run daily in Germany, and the number is growing as more travelers switch to rail due to climate change concerns. Deutsche Bahn trains also carry about 600,000 tons of freight every day, according to federal data.

Deutsche Bahn tried to obtain an emergency injunction this month before a three-day strike, but a court in Frankfurt ruled that the union had the right to strike. The company said Monday it would not go to court to try to get employees back to work.

The most controversial issue in the labor dispute is the number of hours that shift drivers must work. The union has demanded a 35-hour work week, while Deutsche Bahn has offered 37 hours a week. Drivers currently work 38 hours a week. The union is also demanding a pay increase of 555 euros, or about $600, per month for all its employees, representing an 18 percent increase in starting salaries. Deutsche Bahn's latest offer, which was rejected by the union, would see an increase of almost 13 percent for employees working the full 38-hour week.

Mr Weselsky said his union was pushing for the changes to make the job more attractive to young people.

On Monday, Volker Wissing, Germany's transport minister, criticized the strike, saying the dispute over contracts was taking on an “increasingly destructive tone” and that he had “zero sympathy” for the union.

“I don't think Mr. Weselsky is doing himself or his union any favors with this style,” Mr. Wissing said.

As in many other European countries, trains in Germany are an important means of transport for a significant part of the population, providing both regular services between major cities and short commutes. Nevertheless, the approximately 40,000 kilometers of railway lines in Germany are overloaded less than 65 percent of intercity trains ran on time last year, according to Deutsche Bahn's own figures. Mr Scholz's government has pledged to invest in rebuilding older lines, but it will take years to complete and the network is likely to deteriorate further in the meantime.

Two major unions represent railway workers in Germany. The larger one, EVG, settled a dispute with Deutsche Bahn last year over wage increases to keep up with inflation. Those increases amounted to an increase of roughly 410 euros per month, or about $445, and a one-time tax-free bonus worth about $3,100. According to Christian Böttger, a professor at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences who researches rail transport, that agreement has made Deutsche Bahn more willing to play hardball with the smaller GDL, to which most of the drivers belong.

“When it comes to the real issues, the two parties are not that far apart,” said Professor Böttger, referring to GDL and Deutsche Bahn.

Markus Hecht, a rail transport expert at the Technical University of Berlin, said he was concerned that the six-day strike would damage Deutsche Bahn's goal of attracting new travelers and freight, one of the stated climate goals of the three heads of government of Mr Scholz. party coalition. If the rail system were deemed unreliable, Professor Hecht said, travelers and businesses could seek transportation elsewhere.

“It will have a huge impact beyond just those days,” Professor Hecht said. “It will also have negative long-term effects.”