German labour court allows train drivers' union to strike

DPA
·1 min read
The words "GDL strike" are written on the display board at the main station. Germany's GDL train drivers' union is again calling for a strike lasting several days in the wage dispute with state-owned Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies. Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
The words "GDL strike" are written on the display board at the main station. Germany's GDL train drivers' union is again calling for a strike lasting several days in the wage dispute with state-owned Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies. Bernd Wüstneck/dpa

A labour court has ruled that Germany's GDL train drivers' union may go ahead with a planned strike on the railways from Wednesday.

It rejected on Monday an injunction from the railway company Transdev against the strike in the first instance, the court announced.

The presiding judge explained that the mere allegation that the company was financially overwhelmed was not enough to prohibit a strike.

Deutsche Bahn had also filed for an injunction with the Frankfurt Labour Court in the same matter. A decision should be made on Monday. The labour court heard the two applications separately.

Transdev, which operates regional railways in eastern Germany and the north-west, can appeal the decision from Frankfurt to the Hesse State Labour Court. A verdict is expected there on Tuesday.

In passenger transport, the strike is to begin overnight in the early hours of Wednesday and last until Friday evening. In freight transport, GDL members plan to stop working on Tuesday evening.

Since the start of wage negotiations at the beginning of November, the GDL has already brought passenger trains to a standstill twice with 20-hour and 24-hour strikes.