Transport in Germany will be affected by a new round of strikes from Deutsche Bahn train drivers and Lufthansa cabin crew this week. Here’s what passengers should know:

New GDL strike will begin on Tuesday, March 12

The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) has announced that union member drivers will begin another warning strike at 2am on March 12, 2024. The strike will last for 24 hours, finishing at 2am on March 13. 

While freight transport will be affected a few hours earlier, these are the hours that will affect passenger transport. Long-distance trains run by Deutsche Bahn, regional trains and S-Bahn services will be affected in cities and towns across the country. U-Bahn and tram services will not be affected.

This is the sixth strike since November and the second since the GDL-Deutsche Bahn peace deal came to an end last week. All the while, the GDL has been negotiating new pay and working conditions with Deutsche Bahn, with the international company’s reluctance to reduce working hours for employees said to be the main sticking point.

Last week, GDL boss Claus Weselsky said that Deutsche Bahn’s reluctance to negotiate seriously meant that the union would no longer adhere to the rule of announcing the strikes at least 48 hours before they are scheduled to begin. Unless an agreement is met, the next weeks are expected to bring many such strikes.

To find out more about travelling during a Deutsche Bahn strike, check here.

Lufthansa cabin crew to strike on March 12 and 13

As Deutsche Bahn staff prepare to walk out, Germany’s Independent Cabin Crew Organisation (UFO) union has called on Lufthansa cabin crew to strike on March 12 and 13.

The industrial action is expected to include around 19.000 employees and will affect Frankfurt Airport on March 12 and Munich Airport on March 13, lasting between 4am and 11pm on each day. Lufthansa has announced that affected passengers will have their flights rebooked for different days.

After Lufthansa ground staff staged their second warning strike last week, cabin crew are joining them - and many other workers in Germany at the moment - in strike action. The UFO is demanding that cabin crew receive a 15 percent pay rise for the next 18 months and an inflation compensation payment of 3.000 euros for some members.

The demand comes after Lufthansa announced on March 7 that the airline made a profit of 2,7 billion euros in 2023, the “third-best financial result in the history of the Lufthansa Group”. 

Thumb image credit: Jiaye Liu / Shutterstock.com