- Title: German train drivers strike causes chaos with 700 trains cancelled
- Date: 11th August 2021
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (AUGUST 11, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DESERTED TRAIN TRACKS OUTSIDE MUNICH'S MAIN STATION TWO YOUNG WOMEN ON PLATFORM NEXT TO PARKED WHITE HIGH SPEED "ICE" TRAIN DEUTSCHE BAHN GERMAN RAILWAY ILLUMINATED LOGO NEXT TO CLOCK SHOWING IT'S 5.54 A.M. "ICE" TRAIN PARKED ON TRACKS COMMUTERS WALKING ON PLATFORM DEPARTURES BOARD ANNOUNCING TRAIN CANCELLATION TO KARLSRUHE MAN LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONE AND DEPARTURES BOARD BERLIN, GERMANY (AUGUST 11, 2021) (REUTERS) GLASS WALL OUTSIDE BERLIN'S MAIN STATION WITH WRITING IN GERMAN "BERLIN MAIN STATION" DESERTED PLATFORM PEOPLE LOOKING AT THEIR MOBILE PHONES NEAR INFORMATION BOOTH DEPARTURES BOARD SHOWING 10 MIN. DELAY FOR SAME TRAIN TO DUESSELDORF AND HAMM FOUR TIMES / EMPTY DEPARTURES BOARD RAILWAY OFFICIAL IN DISCUSSION WITH YOUNG MAN SHAKING HIS HEAD DESERTED PLATFORM (SOUNDBITE) (German) TRAVELLER, DAVID JUNGCK, SAYING: "The strike is understandable. I support it but the problem is that there is hardly any information on the internet about it. It would have been nice to know in advance which trains are running and which aren't." PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE AT INFORMATION BOOTH VARIOUS OF HANDWRITTEN INFORMATION ON STRIKE, TELLING TRAVELLERS TO CHECK DEUTSCHE BAHN'S INTERNET SITE AND THAT STRIKE WILL LAST UNTIL AUG. 13 AT 2 A.M. (SOUNDBITE) (German) TRAVELLER, DANIEL OPSTILTIN, SAYING: "I wanted to go to the airport but now I have to wait until 7:45 and that means I won't make my flight. I don't know what to do now. I'll see." PEOPLE WALKING PAST BUILDING ON WATER (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF GDL TRAIN DRIVERS' UNION, CLAUS WESELSKY, SAYING: "At 6 a.m. around 700 trains were not running so we may presume a good overall result." DEUTSCHE BAHN GERMAN RAILWAY SPOKESMAN ACHIM STAUSS WALKING PAST DEUTSCHE BAHN FLAGS OUTSIDE STATION (SOUNDBITE) (German) DEUTSCHE BAHN GERMAN RAILWAY SPOKESMAN, ACHIM STAUSS, SAYING: "We call on the GdL to return to the negotiating table because that's the only place to find a solution, especially during a time when more and more people want to travel again after the pandemic. We need to restore mobility, people have to get to work - also in systemically relevant jobs so such a strike is reprehensible." RED AND YELLOW REGIONAL TRAIN AT STATION
- Embargoed: 25th August 2021 10:39
- Keywords: Deutsche Bahn German railway strike GdL stranded travellers strike wage dispute
- Location: MUNICH & BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: MUNICH & BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Company News Markets,Europe,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001EPU3UPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A strike by train drivers paralysed passenger and freight traffic across Germany on Wednesday (August 11) as the union demanded a better wage offer from rail operator Deutsche Bahn.
The strike, organised by GDL union, coincides with increased demand for rail services following the easing of coronavirus curbs during the peak school holiday season. Stranded travellers stood waiting for their delayed trains at stations across Germany.
Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Achim Stauss called on GdL to return to the negotiating table and said the company was trying to keep one in four normally scheduled long-distance trains operational.
GDL union will decide next week whether and when to continue its strike at Deutsche Bahn after wage talks with the state-owned company failed, according to its chief Claus Weselsky.
Weselsky said the first hours of the strike, which started at 0200 local time (0000 GMT) on Wednesday, were successful. The strike brought around 700 trains to a standstill.
GDL is demanding wage increases of around 3.2% and a one-time coronavirus allowance of 600 euros ($702.60).
Economists and lobby groups say the strike at the cargo business could exacerbate the already-tight supply chain bottlenecks in Europe's biggest economy.
Germany's VDA car association said the strike will create uncertainties and will harm the logistics industry, which is struggling to recover from the coronavirus crisis.
(Production: Ayhan Uyanik, Bettina Borgfeld, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None