German Rail Strike?
 

I read on another board that it's very likely the Deutch Bahn workers are going to strike next week? Is there any truth to it? I couldn't find anything except the 2006 WC strike threats when i googled.

I'm afraid there is truth in it. There may be warning strikes from Monday. So far, no one knows.
They are negotiating again today. Afterwards the trade unions will, according to the results or lack thereof, announce details about their plans. Tonight we'll know more, I suppose.

A warning strike is a 1 h strike (or sometimes 30 min). If it stays at that level it will be unpleasant but not catastrophic. If the negotiations go as badly as the ones with the Telecom, I fear worse.

Latest news according to www.tagesschau.de is that there will be one day of massive strike next week and that they'll tell us on Monday which day it's going to be.

*sigh*

As I understand it, there are two issues here. The Transunion group represents the general workers. This group is negotiating this weekend in hopes of reaching a settlement.

The Lokführer-Gewerkschaft, the locomotive drivers, is a separate union. So two groups are threatening a strike if wage demands are not met.

My German friend tells me that the locomotive union wants a 30% pay increase. They see the drivers as the equal of air line pilots and want to be compensated accordingly.

So the German rail traveler is threatened on two sides. When I see the term "massiven Stillstand", I figure that trouble lies ahead. I don't think one needs to be fluent in German to figure that one out.

I received an update just recently, but I don't think it adds anything to what we already have read. Die Bahn officials are still negotiating with the Transunion representatives and the locomotive drivers are still threatening to strike.

Here is the article in full:
Bahn droht massiver Streik

Berlin. Die Deutsche Bahn richtet sich auf Warnstreiks ein. Ab sofort koennen Fahrgaeste sich unter einer kostenfreien Telefonnummer ueber Behinderungen oder Zugausfaelle informieren. Sie lautet 08000 - 99 66 33. Heute um Mitternacht laeuft die Friedenspflicht aus. Dann koennen die Gewerkschaften GDBA und Transnet zu Warnstreiks aufrufen. Am
spaeten Nachmittag unternehmen die Tarifpartner in der dritten
Verhandlungsrunde aber noch einen Versuch, den Arbeitskampf zu vermeiden. Die Bahn hat ein verbessertes Angebot fuer die 134.000 Beschaeftigten in Aussicht gestellt. Waehrenddessen hat die Gewerkschaft der Lokfuehrer Streiks angekuendigt, mit denen sie
direkte Tarifverhandlungen erzwingen will.
Basically it says that Die Bahn is preparing for a strike. Then it gives a toll free number that travelers can call to see what the situation is.

The cooling off period expires at midnight, tonight, and then the unions can call a warning strike.
In late afternoon both parties were still negotiating. Die Bahn had made a better offer to the 134,000 Transnet employees, but the locomotive drivers say they will force their own wage negotiations.

So far I have read nothing about negotiations involving the locomotive drivers. Anybody seen anything?