The sun is not even up and I am already preparing to leave for work. I don’t have to report to the office for another three hours, but the trains aren’t running this morning throughout much of Germany, including Frankfurt. And I don’t have a car…
Unions are powerful here too, and for the fifth time in as many weeks, rail workers are striking in solidarity of their (allegedly) underpaid bretheren. Germany has a mix of private local rail operators and Deutsche Bahn, the national rail service. In some cases, DB train drivers make up to 30% more than their private counterparts. GDL, the train drivers’ union who represents both private and public workers, intends to put a stop to this and has escalated the duration and frequency of their strikes the last few weeks.
As I prepare for the long walk to the bus station, I am looking forward to the crammed 1.5hr bus ride (via every nook and cranny of Frankfurt) to get to the airport.
It’s a beautiful day!
Sorry to hear, Matthew! Things seemed pretty normal when I rode the trains on Saturday. Hope they are back up soon!!