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Train drivers' strike postponed till Thursday

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Train drivers' strike postponed till Thursday
Photo: DPA

Train drivers' union GDL will likely refrain from further strikes until Thursday, two days later than expected, according to a media report.

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A union source told daily Bild on Monday that their next effort to pressure employers in the ongoing wage dispute would be on Thursday at the earliest.

The delay stems from a three-day conference of GDL leaders, the paper said.

“During this time strikes are all but ruled out,” a GDL board member said.

But GDL spokeswoman Gerda Seibert refused to confirm the delay with news agency DAPD, saying the union had only officially announced strikes were possible from Tuesday onwards.

A strike by train drivers for both freight and passenger routes crippled rail traffic in Germany last Thursday morning, with hundreds of cancellations and countless delays reported across the country.

The union, representing 75 percent of Germany's 26,000 train drivers, is pushing for a salary increase for Deutsche Bahn employees and for uniform pay practices at the former monopoly and at competitors.

So far employers have failed to present a negotiable proposal, GDL leader Claus Weselsky said last week.

“Even after three temporary strikes and the collective measures in freight and passenger traffic the employers have not budged a bit,” he said.

But Deutsche Bahn denied this.

"We really don’t know how many offers we can still make," a spokeswoman said.

"We’re not refusing. It’s the opposite. Deutsche Bahn is and remains ready to

negotiate on a collective wage contract for all train drivers."

GDL must first reveal their specific wishes and return to the bargaining table, she added.

DAPD/The Local/ka

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