BERLIN (Sputnik) — The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) plans to organize a new large-scale strike of German railway company Deutsche Bahn employees, the union said in a statement Monday.
The move comes just a week after Deutsche Bahn's longest-ever strike, which last 7 days. The union is demanding an increase in workers' pay and a reduction in working hours.
"The GDL has no choice but to, according to the principle of Ultima ratio, urge again members of our union to strike: in the field of freight transport — from Tuesday, May 19, 2015, 15:00 p.m. [13:00 GMT]; in the field of passenger rail operator Deutsche Bahn — from the morning of Wednesday, May 20," the statement obtained by RIA Novosti reads.
The passenger train drivers' strike is to start at 2:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on May 20, according to the head of the union, Claus Weselsky, with the new strike expected to last even longer than the previous ones.
The dispute between the German railway operator and the train drivers' union has been running for more than ten months. Since summer 2014, GDL drivers had staged eight strikes.
The train drivers are demanding a five-percent pay increase, a one-hour reduction to work schedules, down from 39 to 38 hours a week, as well as a one-off bonus in the amount of 1,000 euro ($1,135).
The latest round of negotiations in the ongoing dispute between Deutsche Bahn and the GDL ended in April without any results.
According to head of the Deutsche Bahn group, Rudiger Grube, previous strikes cost the company about 220 million euro ($250 million).
