Tomorrow’s strike follows a major nationwide strike a few weeks ago. Then many unions worked together. The railway unions indicate that it is enough. Germany has long been faced with major strikes. “The unions are asking for a twelve percent wage increase, or another 650 euros a month,” says German correspondent Derk Marseille. “But the railways don’t want to go more than half, and this is unacceptable for the unions.”
Tomorrow the trains are not supposed to run from three in the morning to eleven in the evening, and this is already causing problems. “People are now looking for alternatives to get from A to B and the expectation is that the motorways will be much busier,” says Marseille. Dutch people who are going to Germany by car tomorrow are advised not to leave until today’s Saturday. The strike also has consequences for road haulage.
Airports
In addition to the railways, strikes are also underway at regional airports: baggage handlers stop work at the airports of Hamburg, Cologne and Düsseldorf. The latter in particular can also cause problems for the Dutch because Düsseldorf airport is often used for holiday flights. It’s an uncoordinated strike, says Marseille. “But that doesn’t matter to a traveller, who has to deal with the consequences of the strike.”
No strike at Frankfurt airport, the largest in the country. But even there the consequences of the strikes in other parts of the country will be felt. ‘How are you supposed to get there? The trains don’t run and it will be difficult even by car. It’s going to be much, much busier than usual.”
Collision course
According to Marseille, railways and unions appear to be on a collision course. There is therefore no provision for reaching a last-minute agreement that cancels the strikes.
Germany has long been struggling with strikes. And this is also reflected in German politics. “They can’t do much right away, even if the railways are owned by the state,” says Marseille. “But in both public and political debates, the demand for a solution is getting louder and louder.”