The Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL, engl.: German Train Drivers' Union) is a German trade union present in train companies. It has a membership of 34,000 [1], concentrated in the former East Germany.
In August 2007, the labour court in Nuremberg prohibited the union from striking, claiming it would affect too strongly the national economy. The GDL had planned to strike to obtain a 31% pay rise for its members, but also because of a privatization project concerning the Deutsche Bahn. The Social-Democrat Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee was to present a law project before the council of ministers which envisioned to sell 25% of the Deutsche Bahn beginning of 2008. The strike would have been the first nationwide railway strike since 1992
The labour court Chemnitz allowed strikes in all sections of rail transport, and the GDL used it and striked for 3 days without interrupting, but the Deutsche Bahn didn't get to a unity with the GDL since now. And it is not impossible, that the GDL will strike even longer and till the Deutsche Bahn gives the 31% more wage and an own (Tarifvertrag).[2]
The union engaged in a three-day strike againstDeutsche Bahn, the state-owned company which operates the German rail system. It was the largest strike in history (as of 2007) against Deutsche Bahn.[3][4][5] The strike ended as the union had planned, at 2:00 a.m. CET on the morning of Saturday, November 17, 2007, but without a new contract.[6][7][8]