Train drivers to strike again

The GDL union announced Tuesday that the Deutsche Bahn train drivers it represented would embark on yet another strike beginning Wednesday that would last more than four days, longer than any individual industrial labor action in the rail operator's history.

Union officials said freight traffic would be disrupted as of Wednesday at 3 p.m. local time and passenger traffic as of Thursday at 2 a.m., with the strike ending Monday, Nov. 10 at 4 a.m.

The industrial action is the sixth of its kind in a long drawn out labor dispute between Deutsche Bahn and the GDL union, which demands a 5-percent pay raise and two hours shaved off its members' work weeks.

Tug of war continues

GDL boss Claus Weselsky brushed aside growing discontent among passengers over the union's industrial action, saying the strike had been announced well in advance so that people would have enough time to look for alternatives.

Deutsche Bahn's management had said earlier the union had pulled out of negotiations last Sunday shortly before the envisaged signing of an agreement which would have also seen the GDL getting a separate collective bargaining accord for conductors, until now represented by the rival EVG union.

EVG chief Alexander Kirchner for his part chided GDL officials for claiming they could reach better deals for Deutsche Bahn staff other than train drivers.

"It's completely wrong to assume that the GDL is more efficient than us in fighting for employers' interests, Kirchner said in a statement.

hg/cjc (Reuters, AFP)