German rail strikes can go ahead, court rules

A multi-day strike by German train drivers can go ahead as planned this week, a court ruled on Tuesday, dashing a last-ditch attempt by Deutsche Bahn to prevent the walkout that will severely disrupt rail travel across the country. The labour court in the state of Hesse ruled against issuing an injunction, upholding a lower court's decision.

A multi-day strike by German train drivers can go ahead as planned this week, a court ruled on Tuesday, dashing a last-ditch attempt by Deutsche Bahn to prevent the walkout that will severely disrupt rail travel across the country.

The labour court in the state of Hesse ruled against issuing an injunction, upholding a lower court's decision. The GDL train drivers' union plans to strike from the early hours of Wednesday until Friday evening, forcing the national rail operator to run only stripped back emergency timetables.

Cargo train drivers are also striking from Tuesday evening until Friday. Deutsche Bahn has said the strike action would impact the travel plans of millions and has encouraged people to cancel or postpone all non-essential travel.

The long-running row over pay and working hours has flared up again following a truce over Christmas, with the GDL seeking a 35-hour week on current wages. Deutsche Bahn has offered flexibility on working hours but refused to reduce them without a pay cut.