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| The window shades of a Deutsche Bahn locomotive are closed during a rail workers’ strike across the country due to pay dispute with Deutsche Bahn, in Cologne, Germany December 10, 2018. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay |
Rail workers in Germany staged a four-hour strike over pay on Monday morning, bringing long-distance rail traffic to a standstill and disrupting commuter and freight trains, state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn said.
The company said that regional train traffic, too, was significantly affected across Germany, with only a few commuter trains operating in the cities of Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.
โCurrently long distance traffic is suspended,โ Deutsche Bahn said on its website. It also said freight trains faced severe disruptions.
The strike from 0400 GMT to 0800 GMT, comes after wage talks between railway union EVG and Deutsche Bahn broke down on Saturday. A warning from EVG, which represents most railway industry workers and professionals, that strike action is inevitable has raised fears that Christmas travel could be disrupted.
โWe are asking the EVG to return to the negotiation table,โ a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn said. โWe are ready to talk.โ
The EVG wants a 7.5 percent wage increase and has also made demands on working hours and holidays.
Deutsche Bahn said the warning strikes would affect services considerably.
โWe must expect disruption even after the end of the warning strikes,โ it said in a statement, adding it would try to minimise problems.
The state-owned company, which is also in talks with the smaller train driversโ union GDL, said it had offered a 5.1 percent wage rise in two stages and a one-off payment of 500 euros ($568.80). Overall, the package is equivalent to a 7 percent rise, it said.
It has said the EVG decision to break off talks were causing a โcompletely unnecessary escalationโ which would unsettle travellers over the Christmas period.
The EVG spokesman declined to say whether one geographical area would be affected most.
