“Strike like in Japan” - GDL strike leads to wishful thinking

The topic is actually hardly newsworthy anymore: once again, the train drivers' union GDL has announced a rail strike after collective bargaining negotiations failed. Once again, this is likely to make life difficult for millions of commuters and travelers.

Many people are expressing their frustration about this on social media – and repeatedly referring to a specific alternative proposal: in Japan, strikes on public transport are organized differently, we often read. While employees there continue to carry out their usual activities, tickets are simply no longer checked. This is intended to result in a loss of earnings for the company without causing any inconvenience to passengers. But how much truth is there in this social media myth – and to what extent would such a strike even be possible in Germany?

First of all, let's look at the origin of the legend: the claim made in many posts that this type of strike is common practice in Japan is simply false. The assumption goes back to a one-off strike in the Japanese city of Okayama, where in 2018 the bus drivers of a company demanded more job security and stopped selling and checking tickets as a means of pressure. There is currently no empirical evidence as to whether this model can also be applied to rail transport.

When comparing Japan to other countries, it is also important to note that the strike culture there is much less pronounced than in Europe: the number of strike days per employee was close to zero in 2023. The extent to which this situation is desirable is certainly open to debate – but it should be clear that the starting points for employees differ drastically and that different means are therefore preferred in industrial disputes.

Finally, there are also very practical reasons against a “strike like in Japan”: for example, the fact that train drivers are not responsible for ticket inspection, or the fact that tickets are not usually sold on the train, but are purchased via an app, at ticket machines, or as season tickets. It is also clear that transferring the strike culture of another country to German trade unions without taking their own circumstances into account is a complicated undertaking and is unlikely to be the solution to the GDL's current labor dispute.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Inclusion: Is the potential of people with disabilities still underestimated in the labor market? This question was addressed in a survey of craft businesses, the results of which are summarized by the Handelsblatt (€).

• Equal Care Day: Every four years on February 29, “Equal Care Day” takes place, which aims to draw attention to the often still invisible extra work done by women. The Tagesschau analyzed the details and the current state of equality in care work on this occasion. The Hans Böckler Foundation also examined the large gap in care work on the basis of a survey of employed persons.

• On International Women's Day this Friday, the topics of equality, care work, and discrimination are likely to be taken up again in many places.

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