Labor Strikes Affect Industries Around The World

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What’s going on:  

National rail operator Deutsche Bahn in Germany anticipates a tremendous amount of disruption on Friday – after the EVG Rail and Transport Union proclaimed a countrywide strike during the peak travel hours in the morning, according to Reuters. The strike involves 50 rail companies and is expected to run from 3 a.m. until 11 a.m. (0900 GMT). The rail strike also coincides with 3 separate German airport walkouts – already causing Hamburg Airport to cancel all departures as a result.

On behalf of 230,000 workers, the EVG rail and transport union is striving to reach an agreement that would grant a 12% wage hike or at least an additional 650 euros per month. In response, Deutsche Bahn has counter-offered with a 5% increase, and a one-time supplement of up to 2,500 euros. Another round of negotiations is slated for early next week.

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In Canada, a third of the country’s federal workers are also on strike, according to CNN. On Wednesday, around 155,000 federal workers walked out of their jobs after negotiations with federal employers failed to reach a deal for higher wages. Other demands were made by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) that haven’t been met, such as work-from-home guarantees from employers. Canadians are expected to see several federal services affected including a potential delay in tax refunds, according to Reuters.  

In the UK, ambulance workers and nurses have also been striking demanding higher wage increases. Additionally, hundreds of workers from British drug manufacturer GSK voted to participate in walkouts at various U.K. manufacturing sites in May, according to Reuters.

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Why it matters:  

Employment within these industries is greatly being affected by increased inflation rates. For many workers, high rates of inflation have outpaced wage growth, and labor organizations that represent workers in a variety of industries, from nurses to transport staff, continue to be on strike.  

How it’ll impact the future:  

Employment might become too expensive within these industries if significant wage increases are passed. Additionally, wage hikes across these sectors may lead to workers being laid off. 

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