German train drivers to strike after court motion fails

A German labor court in Frankfurt ruled against an urgent application filed by Germany's national rail operator Deutsche Bahn on Monday that had attempted to stop a renewed strike action by the GDL train drivers' union.

The company had argued that a reduced notice period ahead of the strike, announced on Sunday evening and starting as early Monday, was unreasonable.

The strike was not disproportionate to the circumstances, ruled Frankfurt judge Stephanie Lenz on Monday evening.

What did Deutsche Bahn say about the strike?

The company said the strike was "groundless" and the "unpredictability of train traffic was unacceptable."

"Deutsche Bahn has criticized the GDL's actions in the strongest possible terms and has now filed a legal appeal to stop the strike," it added.

The operator also slammed the "far too short lead time of only 22 hours," saying it was a "sheer imposition" for passengers.

GDL announced the walkout on Sunday evening, in line with the union's announcement last week that it would not provide at least 48 hours of notice ahead of any strike.

When it comes to passenger transport, the strike is due to begin on Tuesday at 2:00 a.m. (0100 UTC/GMT) and is set to last for 24 hours.

For freight transport, the action began on Monday at 6 p.m. and will also last a full day.

Deutsche Bahn said it had published a reduced timetable for long-distance travel online on Monday morning, to be followed by a timetable for local and regional trains. 

What is the strike about?

The strike is the sixth in a months-long wage dispute and comes just days after the latest round of industrial action.

GDL's core demand is that shift workers have their weekly working hours reduced from 38 to 35, with no change in their pay.

Previous strikes saw the railway provide about 20% of the usual long-distance services, which had a varied impact on regional transport. 

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rc/nm (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

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