Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer

The "Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer" (GDL, engl.: "Trade union of German railroad engineers") is a German trade union present in train companies. It has a membership of 34,000 [ [http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3214,36-942792@51-925598,0.html En Allemagne, la justice interdit la grande grève des conducteurs de train] , "Le Monde", 8 August 2007 fr icon] , concentrated in the former East Germany.

In August 2007, the labour court in Nuremberg prohibited the union from striking, claiming it would affect too strongly the national economy. The GDL had planned to strike to obtain a 31% pay rise for its members, but also because of a privatization project concerning the "Deutsche Bahn". The Social-Democrat Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee was to present a law project before the council of ministers which envisioned to sell 25% of the "Deutsche Bahn" beginning of 2008. The strike would have been the first nationwide railway strike since 1992

The labour court Chemnitz allowed strikes in all sections of rail transport, and the GDL used it and striked for 3 days without interrupting, but the Deutsche Bahn didn't get to an unity with the GDL since now. And it is not impossible, that the GDL will strike even longer and till the Deutsche Bahn gives the 31 % more wage and an own (Tarifvertrag).

cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6936778.stm|title=German court blocks train strike|date=2007-08-08|publisher=BBC News]

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