Sylt commuters complain about "taking hostages"

The Sylt commuters reacted with incomprehension to the warning strikes on the railway line to the North Sea island. He has been commuting to the island for 35 years, and there has never been a train because of a strike, said the spokesman for the commuter initiative Achim Bonnichsen of the German Press Agency. Nurses, police officers, doctors and other hospital staff are also affected. "You didn't pay attention to that this time."

Bonnichsen said it was like "taking hostages" around 3,500 commuters who couldn't quickly switch to bikes or cars. For most commuters, there is no alternative to driving across the embankment through the mudflats. The Sylt ferries that travel from Denmark to List are not an alternative for many people who travel to the island to work because of the longer journey times. The unions were not at all interested in the fact that the island can only be reached by train for most people.

Public transport in Germany has largely been at a standstill for 24 hours since midnight. In addition to rail traffic, almost all airports, waterways, federal motorways and local public transport in seven federal states are affected by the EVG and Verdi warning strike. With the actions, the unions want to increase the pressure on employers in their respective collective bargaining.