Germany’s Minister of Transport Volker Wissing reacted with harsh criticism to the strike announcement…reports Asian Lite News
Despite an improved wage offer, train drivers in Germany announced another strike action on Monday. It will be the longest strike in recent months, lasting six days from Wednesday.
Rail operator Deutsche Bahn expects “massive disruptions” during this strike as the planned emergency service “only ensures a very limited train service”.
In order to bring train drivers back to the negotiating table, Deutsche Bahn further improved its wage offer on Friday. This includes two pay rises this year and next year of 4.8 per cent and 5 per cent respectively, as well as one hour less work per week from 2026, Xinhua news agency reported.
The German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) continued to refuse negotiations, calling the presented deal “another sham offer”. They are demanding an increase of 555 euros ($605) per month and a faster and stronger reduction in working hours by three hours to just 35.
Germany’s Minister of Transport Volker Wissing reacted with harsh criticism to the strike announcement.
“I have zero understanding for this form of wage dispute,” he told public broadcaster ZDF.
“This wage dispute is taking on destructive traits.”
In addition to strikes, ongoing construction work is also affecting rail traffic in Germany. The country has begun to extensively renovate its dilapidated rail network, with key long-distance routes being completely closed for months. (1 euro = $1.09)
Wednesday’s strike comes after RMT staged a three-day walkout last month, the largest in 30 years…reports Asian Lite News
Some 40,000 railway workers in the United Kingdom have staged a walkout over pay, job security and working conditions as the country battles its worst cost of living crisis in decades.
The nationwide 24-hour strike on Wednesday brought the rail network to a virtual standstill, with only one in five trains running.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), said strikes were necessary as wages have failed to keep pace with UK inflation, currently at a 40-year high and set to worsen.
“Network Rail have not made any improvement on their previous pay offer and the train companies have not offered us anything new,” Lynch said.
“The government need to stop their interference in this dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement with us,” he added.
Wednesday’s strike comes after RMT staged a three-day walkout last month, the largest in 30 years.
The government urged union bosses and train operators to resolve the dispute.
Transport minister Grant Shapps told Sky News that the workers’ “employers are the people who have the mandate to negotiate this”.
Remember the golden rule. Never, ever cross a picket line.
Rail services were expected to resume early on Thursday. London Underground trains and buses were running as normal, but Eurostar reduced the number of trains through the Channel Tunnel as a knock-on effect, despite its staff not joining the walkout.
The cost of living crisis presents a major challenge to foreign secretary Liz Truss and former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who are vying to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a leadership contest.
A survey by pollsters YouGov earlier this month found public opinion divided, with around half of those questioned opposed to the action and just over a third saying they supported it…reports Asian Lite News
Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said on Wednesday that the government couldn’t allow “militant unions” to win over rail strikes, warning that their demands could lead to an inflationary spiral.
Over 40,000 rail staff walked out on the first day of Britain’s biggest rail strike in 30 years on Tuesday, as millions of passengers facing days more chaos.
“We can’t allow, I’m afraid, the unions, in this very militant way that they’ve proceeded, to win this argument because it will only hurt the poorest in our society,” Raab told Sky News.
“It is the lowest paid who suffer the most from strike action, and also if we get into this inflationary spiral that the union’s demands would lead to.”
Johnson vows to stay firm
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under pressure to do more to help Britons facing the toughest economic hit in decades, said the strike would harm businesses still recovering from Covid.
Unions have said the rail strikes could mark the start of a “summer of discontent” with teachers, medics, waste disposal workers and even barristers heading for industrial action as inflation pushes 10%.
“The British worker needs a pay rise,” Mick Lynch, secretary-general of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers told Sky News. “They need job security and decent conditions.”
During the morning rush-hour, roads were busier than normal with cars, bikes and pedestrians. Hospital staff said some colleagues slept at work overnight to maintain care. Johnson told his cabinet the strikes were “wrong and unnecessary” and said his message to the country was that they needed to be ready to “stay the course” as improvements to the way railways are run was in the public’s interest.
A survey by pollsters YouGov earlier this month found public opinion divided, with around half of those questioned opposed to the action and just over a third saying they supported it.
Leo Rudolph, a 36-year-old lawyer who walked to work, said he would become more disgruntled the longer the dispute holds. “This isn’t going to be an isolated occurrence, right?” he told Reuters.
Britain’s economy initially rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic but a combination of labour shortages, supply chain disruption, inflation and post-Brexit trade problems has prompted warnings of a recession. The government says it is supporting millions of the poorest households but it warns that above-inflation pay rises would damage the fundamentals of the economy and prolong the problem.
Britain’s railways were effectively nationalised in the pandemic, with train operating companies paid a fixed fee to run services, while the tracks and infrastructure are managed by state-owned Network Rail.
The RMT wants its members to receive a pay rise of at least 7%, but it has said Network Rail offered 2%, with another 1% linked to industry reforms that it opposes. The government has been criticised for not being involved in the talks. Ministers say unions must resolve it directly with employers. The outbreak of industrial action has drawn comparison with the 1970s, when Britain faced widespread labour strikes including the 1978-79 “winter of discontent”.
Unions have said the rail strikes could mark the start of a “summer of discontent” with teachers, medics, waste disposal workers and even barristers moving towards industrial action as surging food and fuel prices push inflation towards 10%…reports Asian Lite News
Britain’s biggest rail strike in 30 years kicked off on Tuesday as tens of thousands of staff walked out in a dispute over pay and jobs that could pave the way for widespread industrial action across the economy in coming months.
Picket lines appeared at dawn and will be lined by some of the more than 40,000 rail workers who are due to strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, bringing the network to a standstill, reported Reuters. The London Underground metro network was also mostly closed due to a separate strike.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under pressure to do more to help British households facing the toughest economic hit in decades, said the industrial action would harm businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic.
Unions have said the rail strikes could mark the start of a “summer of discontent” with teachers, medics, waste disposal workers and even barristers moving towards industrial action as surging food and fuel prices push inflation towards 10%.
“Our campaign will run for as long as it needs to run,” Mick Lynch, secretary-general of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), told reporters on Monday.
The prime minister said the unions were harming the people they claimed to be helping.
“By going ahead with these rail strikes, they are driving away commuters who ultimately support the jobs of rail workers, whilst also impacting businesses and communities across the country,” Johnson will tell his cabinet on Tuesday, according to his office.
The government has faced criticism from opposition lawmakers for refusing to get involved in the talks to settle the dispute.
Ministers say it is a matter for the unions to work out directly with rail employers.
Massive inflation
Britain’s economy initially rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic but a combination of labour shortages, supply chain disruption, inflation and post-Brexit trade problems has prompted warnings of a recession.
The government says it is giving extra support to millions of the poorest households but says above-inflation pay rises would damage the fundamentals of the economy.
“Sustained higher levels of inflation would have a far bigger impact on people’s pay packets in the long run, destroying savings and extending the difficulties we ar facing for longer,” Johnson said.
The outbreak of industrial action has drawn comparison with the 1970s, when Britain faced widespread labour strikes including the 1978-79 “winter of discontent”.
Transport minister Grant Shapps said the government would change the law to force train operators to deliver a minimum service on strike days, and allow other workers to temporarily replace those staff who have walked out.
“We are going to take steps to make sure this kind of thing is less damaging in future,” he told Sky News.
The strikes come as travellers at British airports experience chaotic delays and last-minute cancellations due to staff shortages, while many Britons have to wait months for new passports to arrive due to processing delays.
The rail strike means only about half of Britain’s rail network will be open on strike days with a very limited service running on those lines and continued disruption on the days in between strike days.
