German train drivers strike

Taking their fight to a new level German train drivers are this week holding the biggest strike in their history, stopping all freight traffic for two and a half days and all passenger trains for 48 hours.

Last week they staged a 42 hour strike that stopped Deutsche Bahn freight trains. This came after a 2 November court decision that overturned a ban on drivers striking on freight and long distance passenger services.

The train drivers' union, the GDL, said this week that an indefinite strike is now possible.

In Berlin, SAV and the GDL held a meeting where over 100 people discussed how to support the strike actions and protests. The train drivers are fighting for a wage increase and a one hour cut in their working week, after years of cuts in real wages and worsening of working conditions.

Anne Engelhardt, Sozialistische Alternative (SAV), CWI Germany.

SAV is appealing for international solidarity messages to be sent to:

mkoschitzki@arcor.de

and

ski@sozialismus.info .

For full article see www.socialistworld.net