German rail strikes cause long-distance rail traffic

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.

“Currently long-distance traffic is suspended,” 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.

National, regional, and local train traffic will be affected even after the end of the stoppage scheduled to last from 5:00 am to 9:00 am (0400 GMT to 0800 GMT), Deutsche Bahn said Sunday.

It did not specify how many trains would be cancelled, or how many passengers are likely to be inconvenienced.

Pay negotiations between Deutsche Bahn and the EVG rail workers' union, demanding a 7.5-percent salary raise for 160,000 employees, ended without agreement on Saturday.

"The employer made offers which did not correspond to the demands of our members," said EVG negotiator Regina Rusch-Ziemba.

But the railway operator in a statement described the strike as "completely futile" saying its offer was "attractive and met the main demands" of employees.

“We are asking the EVG to return to the negotiation table,” a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn said. “We are ready to talk.”

German news agency DPA said Deutsche Bahn invited the union to new talks on Monday afternoon.