Scholz rejects limit on strikes as walkouts plague Germany

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday rejected a call for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action, despite mounting public frustration over a bout of walkouts.

Asked in parliament if he would consider imposing new rules, Scholz said: "In my view, no."

"The right to strike is written in the constitution... and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought," said the Social Democrat.

The chancellor also argued that Germany "is probably the country with the fewest strikes in Europe".

Sectors from public transport to childcare to metallurgy have taken turns in the last months to hold industrial action in Germany, as disputes over pay and working conditions escalate at a time of high inflation.

This week alone, hundreds of thousands of travellers and commuters were stranded by strikes by train drivers and Lufthansa cabin crew. On Thursday, security personnel at several airports including Berlin will walk out, forcing airlines to cancel dozens of departing flights.

Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has voiced frustration at the frequency of the strikes.

"I've reached the end of my personal understanding," he said last week, adding that "there really has to be a solution now.