National strike! Maersk warns: Transportation will be seriously delayed and goods cannot be delivered

On January 9, Maersk issued an announcement stating that the German Farmers Association would begin blocking important traffic intersections and passages at 5 a.m. on January 8, 2024. In addition, the German Train Drivers Union (GDL) announced a freight strike from 6 pm on January 9, followed by a public transport strike from 2 am on January 10.

Maersk warned that it expected significant delays in inland shipping, including cargo not being delivered at all.

The German train drivers' union (GDL) announced on Sunday night that it would hold another general strike for several days because labor negotiations with state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB) and other railway companies failed to reach a consensus.

The German Train Drivers' Union, which represents about 10,000 workers, not only demands a wage increase to cope with high inflation, but also demands negotiations for a total of 35 hours of work over four days a week.

This strike means that the GDL has resumed fighting after the "Christmas Truce". On the passenger side, the strike will begin in the early hours of Wednesday and last until Friday night. On the freight side, GDL members plan to stop work on Tuesday night, and drivers will return to work at 6 pm on the 12th. This is the longest strike of the union so far.

Deutsche Bahn criticized GDL's strike action and announced it would take legal action.

German local police said on the social network

Protests are taking place in virtually every federal state in Germany. The Bavarian police said that defenders are currently escorting more than 5,500 tractors from various regions of Bavaria to Munich. This could bring roads across Germany to a standstill.

Local media reported that the Volkswagen factory in Emden, northwest Germany, also had to stop production due to road blockades that made it difficult for employees to reach their work sites.

The joint general strike by German railway workers and farmers will have a serious impact on the entire country's transportation and may even lead to paralysis. A freight forwarding company has issued an emergency notice stating that from January 8 to 15, due to large-scale demonstrations and protest marches, key transportation nodes such as entrances and exits of federal roads and highways, and entrances to industrial zones will be blocked, which will result in cargo Shipping delays.