Another rail strike in Germany to add to European freight troubles

A rail strike in Germany on Monday is expected to cause delays and rail freight disruptions, with freight forwarders and shippers calling for flexibility on timings to help the movement of goods, with more disruptions in France also expected.

The latest action follows a port pilots’ strike, which ended this morning, and disruption in France as demonstrators protest against the president’s plan to extend the pensionable age.

Stefan Genth, CEO of the HDE retail association, called on the German government to lift the Sunday driving ban this weekend to allow logistics firms to bring forward some shipments and avoid “supply chaos”.

Leader of the EVG union Martin Burkert said industrial action was “a sharp sword that we also handle very responsibly”.

Pointing to the fact that Germany has few strike days compared with other countries, Mr Burkert said the dispute pursued by EVG and the Ver.di union centred on demands for pay and collective agreements.