Germany chems fear that rail strike may squeeze raw material supplies

LONDON (ICIS)–Germany’s chemical industry fears that this week’s week-long rail strike by train drivers’ union GDL could lead to bottlenecks in raw material supplies, an official at industry trade group VCI said on Tuesday.

GDL began the strike for freight rail traffic on Monday 4 May, and early Tuesday it extended the strike to passenger services. The strike is due to end on Sunday 10 May.

“Our industry is shipping 221m tonnes/year of chemicals, with 14% being shipped by rail,” said Gerd Deimel, a VCI spokesman for traffic, transport and infrastructure.

“It’s just impossible to shift all those volumes to waterways and roads,” he said.

“We very much depend on a functioning rail system,” he said.

“This strike hit the heart of Germany’s chemicals industry, “ he added.

Rail carrier Deutsche Bahn said in an update on Tuesday that it is operating emergency plans, trying to maintain long-distance passenger services at one third of usual levels, and regional commuter services at two thirds.

The strike affects freight rail, in particular, Deutsche Bahn said. Regionally, it affects eastern Germany more than western Germany, it added.

This week’s strike is the eighth and so far longest strike action by GDL since September last year in its protracted industrial dispute with Deutsche Bahn.

Underlying the dispute is a fundamental conflict between Deutsche Bahn, GDL and a larger rail union, EVG, over who represents rail workers in collective bargaining.

The rail carrier is pushing for a collective bargaining principle called “Tarifeinheit”, under which it would negotiate one collective deal with one union that speaks for all rail workers. This could eventually shut out the relatively small GDL.

Meanwhile, EVG said that it would examine, by 11 May, Deutsche Bahn’s latest offer to settle the conflict. EVG said that it was aiming at reaching a deal by 1 June and add that it would not exclude industrial action.  So far, EVG rail workers have not gone on strike.