Trains are seen during a train drivers' strike at the rail yard of Frankfurt central station in Frankfurt, Germany, on Aug. 23, 2021. The strike was caused by failed tariff negotiations between the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) and state rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB). (Xinhua/Lu Yang)
BERLIN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Following failed tariff negotiations with state rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB), train services in Germany would be affected by renewed strike actions, Klaus Weselsky, head of the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) announced at a press conference on Friday.
In the midst of the summer holiday season, the strikes are scheduled to start on Saturday for freight rail transport, with passenger services affected from Monday to Wednesday.
"A standstill in improving the offer by the management of DB directly leads to a standstill of trains in Germany," Weselsky said.
In a statement, DB criticized the strikes as a "completely unnecessary burden on passengers and freight customers."
In addition to a wage increase of 3.2 percent, GDL demands a COVID-19 bonus of 600 euros (700 U.S. dollars) as well as collective agreements for the entire rail infrastructure, for network, station and service as well as the workshops. (1 euro = 1.17 U.S. dollars) Enditem
