Germany: Railway union threatens nationwide strikes from January

Germany's railway union EVG has issued a stark warning of nationwide strikes in regional transport beginning in January, demanding the government swiftly enact legislation to increase penalties for assaults on train personnel. The union insists a promised law must be presented to the Bundestag before the end of the year.

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The promised law for tougher penalties for attacks on train personnel must go to the Bundestag this year, otherwise we will paralyze operations in January.

"The promised law for tougher penalties for attacks on train personnel must go to the Bundestag this year, otherwise we will paralyze operations in January," said union chief Martin Burkert in an interview with "Bild am Sonntag." He criticized the government's response to a fatal attack on a train conductor earlier this year, stating that despite expressions of concern, no concrete actions have been taken. "The government is engaging in work avoidance, and the railway workers are paying for it with their health or even their lives," Burkert added, referencing the conductor Serkan Çalar, who was killed in February.

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A train conductor was killed in the line of duty half a year ago, and the politicians offered concerned faces and big words, but no action.

Burkert emphasized that politicians may have forgotten Serkan, but the union has not. The attack occurred on a regional express train, and the perpetrator was later sentenced to ten years in prison for assault resulting in death.

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The government is engaging in work avoidance, and the railway workers are paying for it with their health or even their lives.

Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger had previously stated that "Safety on trains is not a fringe issue. It is a fundamental requirement for functioning public transport." He announced government discussions aimed at achieving higher penalties for attacks on train conductors, similar to those for emergency responders. Ralf Damde, chairman of the works council at DB Regio, warned that "Enough is enough! Statistically, eight colleagues are attacked every day on duty. No one knows before their shift if they will come home healthy again. If the law continues to gather dust in the ministry, we, as works councils, will refuse to approve the duty rosters. The political standstill will then become a train standstill."

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The politicians have forgotten Serkan. We have not.