The strike, which began on January 23, 2024, initiated by the German union GDL against Deutsche Bahn, is estimated to cost the logistics system around a hundred million euros daily. This estimate, provided by the IW Institute in Cologne, is based on the damage done to the supply chain so far. Considering the strike is planned until January 29, the IW believes the total cost could reach one billion euros. Focusing solely on the transportation sector, the daily cost amounts to 30 million euros.
Industries heavily affected by the strike include those transporting large quantities of goods, such as steel, mechanical, automotive, and chemical industries, which are unable to shift all their shipments to road transport. The effects of the rail workers' strike are compounded by serious issues in container maritime transport caused by the Red Sea crisis, which will soon impact European ports, and by bottlenecks on the German rail network due to extraordinary maintenance works.
In a statement released on January 23, the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) said the strike is not only targeting Deutsche Bahn but also impacting other railway companies. This is because some workers from DB InfraGo, a company of the Deutsche Bahn Group that manages the infrastructure, are also participating in the strike. According to ERFA, this situation is creating problems for international transport, specifically mentioning the Rhine-Alps corridor.
Therefore, ERFA has issued an urgent appeal to both parties "to do everything within their power to ensure that the operations of competing railways are not compromised." Specifically, GDL should limit the strike to Deutsche Bahn's train drivers, without affecting the operations of DB InfraGo, while Deutsche Bahn should "do everything within its power to fulfill its sovereign duties as the infrastructure manager."
In response to criticisms of the strike, GDL stated that they had offered to continue negotiations unreservedly to suspend the strike: "It is therefore up to the employer to decide how much to limit the travel of Deutsche Bahn's passengers and freight customers in the coming days," wrote the union in a note dated January 24. To support this offer, GDL has presented a seven-point proposal agreement.
