Germany

Germany: With Strike Over, Lufthansa to Restore Normal Schedule by Mid-August

Date: August 7th, 2008 |

A five-day strike by Lufthansa ground and cabin staff ended Aug. 1 when the workers’ union and management agreed on a pay increase. The strike forced the cancellation of up to 10 percent of Lufthansa’s flights and the airline does not expect its schedule to return to normal until mid-August because it needs to catch [read more]

Germany: Berlin Transit Strike Extended

Date: March 12th, 2008 |

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Striking transit workers in Berlin threatened to extend their strike through March 23 because negotiations were making little progress. Berlin’s bus, tram and underground network will be disrupted should the strike continue. A threatened nationwide rail strike was averted when negotiators reached agreemen [read more]

Germany: Train Drivers and National Railway Settle Strike

Date: February 7th, 2008 |

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Train drivers and the national railway operator settled a labor dispute that caused several strikes dating back to July. The strikes disrupted commuter lines and freight transport, and union members had threatened an open-ended strike that would have affected rail service throughout the country. The settlement takes effect March 1 and ends the threat of [read more]

Germany: Train Strike Could Cause Chaos

Date: January 2nd, 2008 |

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A strike by 15,000 train engineers planned for Jan. 7 could cause chaos on Germany’s railways. The strike threat is part of an eight-month dispute between the national railway company and train operators whose union has disrupted passenger and freight transport across the country with a series of strikes since July. Negotiations in late December [read more]

Germany: Smoking Ban on Transport, in Federal Buildings

Date: September 5th, 2007 |

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A smoking ban went into effect Sept. 1 on most public transport including trains, buses, aircraft, ferries and taxis as well as in federal buildings. Fines range from 5 to 1,000 euros ($7-$1,365). The law permits rooms in buildings to be set aside for smokers so many train stations have smoking areas, and private businesses [read more]

Germany: Lufthansa Strike Affects Air Travel

Date: July 30th, 2008 |

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Lufthansa ground and cabin staff launched an indefinite strike July 28 that caused significant delays and cancellations of both domestic and international flights. The strike is likely to affect all airports in Germany. The dispute is over a demand for a 9.8 percent pay raise while the government offered a 6.7 percent increase in two [read more]

Germany: Strikes Affect Transit in Berlin, Flights in Frankfurt

Date: March 6th, 2008 |

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Berlin transit workers went on strike for 10 days March 5 in a walkout that is part of a nationwide public service workers demand for higher pay. The strike will affect the subway, bus and tram network but not the S-Bahn commuter train system. A similar strike in January paralyzed the network and this one [read more]

Germany: Railway Strike Called Off, Negotiations Continue

Date: January 10th, 2008 |

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National railway officials and the head of the train drivers union averted an indefinite strike planned for Jan. 7 when they agreed to continue negotiating. The strike could have crippled commuter and freight services. The dispute has been festering since last summer and a strike is still [read more]

Germany: Train Strike to Begin Oct. 5

Date: October 3rd, 2007 |

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National rail engineers called for an indefinite strike to begin Oct. 5 in a months-long wage dispute after talks with government representatives broke down. Strikes in July caused major disruptions in passenger and freight service, and if this strike occurs as planned, similar disruptions w [read more]

Germany: Neo-Nazi Mob Attacks Indian Tourists

Date: August 22nd, 2007 |

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A mob of some 50 neo-Nazi youths attacked a group of eight Indian tourists during a festival in the town of Mugeln near Leipzig in eastern Germany Aug. 19. Witnesses reported hearing xenophobic chants including “foreigners out” during the attack but town officials seemed perplexed that there could be any right-wing extremists in their community. [read more]