The union of German train drivers “GDL” will end the strike earlier than planned because the negotiations with the company “Deutsche Bahn” continue, both parties announced today.
The strike, which is the fourth and longest in a months-long dispute over wages and working hours, began at 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 24, and was due to last until Monday night.
However, the union announced that it will end the freight strike tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., and the passenger strike on Monday at 2:00 p.m.
Transport workers across Europe have gone on strike to demand a pay rise to combat the impact of inflation.
“Negotiations are finally continuing,” said Deutsche Bahn official Martin Seiler.
The two sides agreed to conduct negotiations for the next five weeks and that there would be no work stoppage until at least March 3.
The talks will be confidential and the parties will not address the public until the conclusion of the negotiations.
One of the main demands of “GDL” is to reduce the working hours to a 35-hour work week from the current 38 hours, while at the same time the staff receives a full salary.
“Deutsche Bahn” rejected this request as too expensive and stated that it needs to hire another 10 percent of the workforce to fill the gap.
