Millions of people across Germany may struggle to plan their next trip. The country’s transport industry was paralyzed on Thursday after union workers staged a strike that lasted several days. The strike saw employees in Germany’s aviation and railway industries walk out, the latest in a series of labour disputes that have hit countries across Europe.
The striking employees are union members from Germany’s two largest transport companies: Lufthansa, the country’s national airline, and Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway company. The strikes have already had a major impact on the country’s transport infrastructure, and workers have said they plan to continue the walkout at least until Saturday.
The double strike is the start of a “so-called strike wave” across Germany, Klaus Weselski, head of the train workers’ union, told reporters. It also marks the second time in 2024 that train workers in the country have gone on strike, and the fifth in recent months. While there have been several strikes across the European Union recently, the latest in Germany could be the most significant yet.
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Why are transport workers on strike in Germany?
The rail and airline unions are demanding better pay and working conditions for their employees. The rail union representing Deutsche Bahn is demanding “a reduction in the working week for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours, without any change in pay to reflect the reduced working hours,” Deutsche Welle reported. The rail union broke off negotiations with mediators after these demands failed.
Verdi, which represents around 25,000 Lufthansa employees, is demanding a 12.5 percent pay rise, or at least $545 a month, DW reported. The union is also demanding an inflation-adjusted bonus of around $3,200, with the possibility of additional bonuses.
Both Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn have resisted the union demands, with the latter refusing to give up its share. Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauss told the BBC that GDL was “not budging an inch from its maximalist position”. Lufthansa’s front office appeared more receptive to the unions and offered a 10% pay rise. However, Verdi’s chief negotiator Marvin Reschinski told the BBC that in some cases Lufthansa employees “no longer even know how to make ends meet in Germany’s most expensive city”, adding that a 10% increase was not enough.
How did this affect Germany?
The strikes have disrupted the plans of millions of commuters, with Germany’s transport systems effectively grinding to a halt. This has led to “traffic jams in cities and on highways, shortages of carpools and rental cars, and airline passengers desperately trying to rebook flights to reach their destinations,” the Associated Press reported. The strikes have caused chaos within the rail system, with “millions who normally rely on commuter trains finding themselves stuck or stuck in traffic.”
Officials at Deutsche Bahn said they expected “huge disruptions” through the weekend, affecting regional services and long-distance trains. In total, around 80% of all long-distance trains in Germany have been cancelled, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, Lufthansa said in a statement that around 1,000 flights per day would be cancelled for the duration of the strike, affecting around 200,000 passengers on board.
The impact of the strikes was particularly severe at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest airport and main international hub. The airport was closed for a full day after Lufthansa security staff represented by Verdi walked off the job. The airport said on its Facebook page that the strikes would continue to “cause significant disruption and flight cancellations” over the coming days. Airports in Berlin and Hamburg were also affected by flight cancellations.
What is the end result of the strikes?
The strikes come as “Germany has been hit by months of labour strikes, with workers and management in many sectors at odds over working conditions amid high inflation and weak business activity,” AFP reported. In addition to the transport sector, strikes have also hit “supermarkets and the civil service, among other areas of public life.”
As for the future of the transport industry, mediators are trying to reach an agreement between unions and companies. Weselski told reporters that further measures, especially any future strikes, will be announced “when we consider the time is right.”
