German Train Drivers Start 2nd Strike After Nixing Offer

The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) has disrupted most train services in Germany with a nationwide strike that began in the early hours of Monday and is due to last until the early hours of Wednesday, Burkhard Fraune, Matthias Arnold, and Felix Schroeder reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Photo Insert: The City Night Line of Deutsche Bahn

Until then, millions of travelers are preparing for severe disruption, delays, and cancellations, especially on long-distance services.

Unmoved by a Sunday offer to expand the list of topics to be discussed in wage negotiations, the GDL carried its strike over to passenger services starting early Monday.

An attempt by the national rail operator Deutsche Bahn to avert strike action with another wage increase proposal on Sunday left the GDL unmoved. Deutsche Bahn even held out the prospect of negotiations on a bonus for employees for having worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic, a key demand of the GDL.

Union leader Claus Weselsky rejected the offer, saying on German public broadcaster ZDF's Morgenmagazin program on Monday: "You have to at least give a figure," referring to the lack of a concrete pay increase proposal in the Deutsche Bahn offer.

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