Germany: railway union EVG threatens to strike

Germany's railway workers' union, the EVG, has threatened nationwide strikes in regional rail services unless the government introduces stricter penalties for attacks on train staff this year. According to EVG leader Martin Burkert, the proposed law must reach the German parliament by the end of 2024, or the union will halt operations in January. The threat comes amid growing frustration over the slow progress of legislative action following the murder of a train attendant last February. The incident occurred in early February when 36-year-old Serkan Çalar, a conductor on a regional train in Rhineland-Palatinate, was attacked by a passenger and killed. The attack shocked the nation and led to widespread condemnation. In July, the perpetrator was sentenced to ten years in prison for grievous bodily harm resulting in death. Despite the gravity of the crime, the federal government’s response has been criticized as inadequate. Burkert expressed disappointment with the government’s handling of the issue since the attack. He noted that while officials have shown concern and made statements, there has been little tangible action. “The government engages in work avoidance, while railroad workers pay the price with their health or even their lives,” he said. He added that politicians had forgotten the murdered train worker, “but we haven’t.” The EVG has warned that if the proposed legislation expanding penalties for attacks on train staff is not introduced into the Bundestag by the end of the year, its works councils will refuse to approve the January service schedules for Deutsche Bahn (DB) Regio and private regional railways. This could lead to a nationwide shutdown of regional rail services, affecting millions of commuters who rely on these routes daily. Ralf Damde, chairman of the overall works council at DB Regio, told Bild am Sonntag that the situation has reached a breaking point. “Statistically, eight colleagues are attacked each day while on duty. No one knows before their shift whether they will return home safely,” he said. If the law is not passed, the works councils will withhold approval of the service plans, effectively bringing operations to a standstill. The government has acknowledged the urgency of the issue but emphasized that the legal draft is still under internal coordination. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice stated that the goal is for the Bundestag to debate and potentially pass the bill this year. However, the inclusion of train attendants in the proposed law remains uncertain, according to Bild am Sonntag. The EVG’s demands highlight the ongoing tension between labor rights and public safety in Germany’s transportation sector. With attacks on train staff becoming increasingly frequent, the union argues that stronger legal protections are essential to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of workers. The outcome of the political negotiations will determine whether the promised legislative measures materialize or if the threat of a nationwide strike becomes a reality.