A Frankfurt labor appeals court rejected a request by German railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG to prevent a strike by a small but influential train-drivers’ union this week.
The Frankfurt Labor Appeals Court on Tuesday upheld a lower tribunal interim ruling that had dismissed the bid under fast-track proceedings on Monday. Deutsche Bahn had appealed that decision and was seeking an injunction.
Germany has been bracing for widespread transport disruption after the drivers’ union on Sunday announced fresh strikes in a bid to push through higher wages and shorter working hours, with walkouts set to stretch over three days at its passenger operations and four days at its cargo unit. The train strike coincides with road blockages by farmers across the country as part of fierce protests against cutbacks in subsidies for the agriculture sector.
Union members will strike from 2 a.m. local time on Jan. 10 through 6 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the passenger operations, the Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer said late Sunday in a statement.
Deutsche Bahn said after the ruling that Tuesday’s decision is only preliminary and that the company will continue to pursue the case. The Frankfurt labor court will have to rule on whether GDL is no longer a real union because of its relationship to a cooperation that acts as an employer for drivers, Deutsche Bahn said in a statement.
German rail passengers have been hit with widespread delays and cancellations in recent months after the GDL called on its members to stop operating both passenger and freight trains on some days.
While train strikes disgruntle commuters and passengers, generally the immediate effect on companies is less pronounced as manufacturers activate contingency plans. These include shifting transportation of certain goods to trucks or relying on private railway operators.
BASF SE, Volkswagen AG and BMW AG said in separate statements that they don’t anticipate major disruptions at their facilities for the time being.
Even before the strikes, Germany’s state-backed rail operator had been under fire for frequent travel disruptions. While it has embarked on a modernization of the nation’s busiest routes by 2030 with more than €80 billion ($87.5 billion) in government funding, improvements will probably take time to show.
Ahead of the court’s decision, almost all GDL members last month backed the option to escalate the wage dispute by going on strike — if needed — for unlimited periods of time. GDL’s previous walkouts were usually limited to one day.
The GDL union represents some 40,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn and other transport providers, according to its website. It holds significant sway because its members include many train drivers critical for operations.
Germany’s main railway union — Eisenbahn-und Verkehrsgewerkschaft, or EVG — has about four times as many members and represents train drivers as well as service and administrative staff.
