Train drivers in Germany will begin strike action this week, and the strike will last for six days. The strike action is expected to greatly disrupt rail services all around the country and will affect both passenger trains and freight trains. Unionized train drivers and other train workers are represented by the GDL trade union, and the union and Germany’s national railway, the Deutsche Bahn, disagreed in negotiations about pay increases, changes to working conditions, and decreases in the number of weekly hours worked. The two parties have not negotiated since November 2023, and an attributor has not been used to mediate negotiations. The effects of the strike will be felt all around Europe, as 60% of European freight train pathways go through Germany.
See "Six-day train driver strike in Germany will disrupt freight transported around Europe", Kate Connolly, The Guardian, January 25, 2024