German rail union resumes talks to avert strike

21 December 2007 17:59  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--Germany’s train drivers union will immediately resume talks with rail carrier Deutsche Bahn (DB) to try to reach a settlement before 6 January and avoid renewed strike action next year, it said on Friday.

 

A rail strike in November paralysed freight rail traffic, disrupting shipments of chemical, plastics and other products in Germany and across central Europe.

 

The union, Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokfuhrer (GDL), said its commitment to restart negotiations came after federal transportation minister Wolfgang Tiefensee intervened on Friday and had joint talks with GDL and DB.

 

GDL head Manfred Schell said if the talks resulted in prospects for a viable settlement GDL would not embark on strike action on 7 January.

 

On Thursday GDL had said it would resume strikes on 7 January after talks to settle the long-running dispute with DB had broken down again, after nine month of fruitless negotiations.

 

The dispute is about wages and working hours, but GDL also insists that DB grants train drivers a separate collective bargaining arrangement.

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

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