DB bosses brace for GDL strike

The strike by drivers, which runs from 9 p.m. local time (1900 UTC) Tuesday until 6 a.m. (0400) Wednesday and could affect up to 200 long-distance trains, follows two three-hour strikes in recent weeks. It will predominantly affect wee-hours commuters on regional routes nationwide plus freight transported at night in almost 5,000 trains.

"Many people will not reach their destination or will arrive after experiencing lengthy delays," Ulrich Homburg, a member of the board for the state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB), said on Tuesday. "Even in the morning when the strike is over, we expect severe disruptions during the rush hour," he added.

At a meeting last week, 91 percent of GDL members voted in favor of industrial action, according to the union. Drivers seek a raise in pay of 5 percent and a two-hour decrease in their workweek to 37. The union also seeks a mandate to negotiate for train guards and other personnel.

DB has rejected the union's requests, offering a 1.9 percent raise and criticizing the decision to widen the strikes, estimating that it could take until Wednesday midday before service returns to normal.

Cargo pilots strike

For those looking to move their materials without being chained to the earthly whims of rail drivers and their employers, the Lufthansa pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit, has announced a two-day strike at the carrier's freight arm starting at 3 a.m. local time (0100 UTC) on Wednesday. That strike, Cockpit's sixth this year, aims to push management to retain a scheme that allows pilots to retire early at 55 and still receive a portion of their wages.

In mid-September, the pilots had called off a strike as talks appeared to be progressing. The latest action comes after talks between the airline and the union broke down in September.

Lufthansa has estimated the strikes have cost it about 70 million euros ($90 million) so far. The walkout will not affect passengers.

mkg/bw (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)