With the start of the ITB in Berlin coming up next week, there is uncertainty for travelers planning to travel by Deutsche Bahn. The collective bargaining agreement between Deutsche Bahn and the union has been terminated prematurely. In Berlin, there are concerns about a possible new strike and further disruptions, reports the German FVW | Travel Talk. After the end of the rail strikes at the end of January, there was hope for a possible agreement between the parties involved. Since February, Deutsche Bahn management and trade union GDL have again been negotiating behind closed doors. The deadline for an agreement was set for March 3, but that now appears to have failed prematurely. Nevertheless, until that date, i.e. until Sunday, there is an agreed ban on strikes. This is positive for visitors who travel to Berlin very early, for example on Sunday evenings. However, for those who plan not to leave until Monday, March 4, there may be another advantage: trade union GDL has announced that it will not comment on the failed negotiations until Monday morning via a press conference. Normally, strikes are announced 48 hours in advance. If the GDL also adheres to this, a strike would not start until Wednesday afternoon at the earliest. This means that travel to the ITB by Deutsche Bahn on Tuesdays would still be possible. The only problem is that the GDL has not always adhered to the 48-hour deadline. If a strike actually takes place, for example from Wednesday 6 March, then possibly every fifth train will run according to emergency plans. This would be scant consolation, as these trains would likely be overcrowded and may not be able to carry all passengers. Incidentally, the Berlin S-Bahn also belongs to the Deutsche Bahn, which means that this means of transport can also be affected by strikes. With more than 90,000 trade visitors last year, ITB Berlin is the largest tourism trade fair in the world. (Photo Shutterstock).
