Germany train strike cut short for Berlin Wall festivities
- 9 years ago
Germany’s train strike has been cut short. It will end on Saturday evening as “a gesture of conciliation,” according to the GDL union.
It wants a five percent pay rise and two hours less work per week for its drivers.
The walkout, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall been heavily critised by commuters.
“At first I thought their demands were reasonable, but now I find them too much,” said rail traveller Jacob Waching.
The strike has brought rail travel to a halt, disrupting the lives of commuters and long-distance travellers.
“About 30 percent of long distance trains are running,” explained a spokesman for rail operator Deutsche Bahn,
Achim Stauss. “Local trains depend on the region: in eastern Germany, only around 15 to 20 percent are running. In western Germany it’s about 50 to 60 percent.”
Millions of commuters in Germany ride on the railway every day, relying on the high-speed lines that criss-cross the country. About a fifth of German freight is also transported by rail.
It wants a five percent pay rise and two hours less work per week for its drivers.
The walkout, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall been heavily critised by commuters.
“At first I thought their demands were reasonable, but now I find them too much,” said rail traveller Jacob Waching.
The strike has brought rail travel to a halt, disrupting the lives of commuters and long-distance travellers.
“About 30 percent of long distance trains are running,” explained a spokesman for rail operator Deutsche Bahn,
Achim Stauss. “Local trains depend on the region: in eastern Germany, only around 15 to 20 percent are running. In western Germany it’s about 50 to 60 percent.”
Millions of commuters in Germany ride on the railway every day, relying on the high-speed lines that criss-cross the country. About a fifth of German freight is also transported by rail.