Massive strike launched by German EVG labour union on Friday morning paralysed railway traffic across Germany. Organised labour action launched to demand pay raises for railroad workers coincided with similar walkouts at key German airports that started yesterday.
German railway ‘warning strike’ coincided with peak hours on Friday morning and began at 3am local time, seriously affecting the operations of national operator Deutsche Bahn. According to union representatives, the strike covered only the morning rush hours and was scheduled to end at 11am.
The labour action has impacted city trains as well as regional and long-distance railway lines. According to EVG executive board, “by calling this time for a time-limited warning strike in the early morning hours, we send a clear signal that we do not want to affect the passengers, but rather the companies.”
EVG is currently in talks with the national railway operator, demanding that Deutsche Bahn workers’ monthly pay be raised by at least €650 ($710) or 12% within 12 months. The minimum wage is also being discussed.
Deutsche Bahn has so far offered a 5% pay rate hike, plus a one-off payment of up to €2,500 – a proposal EVG has rejected as unacceptable. Another round of wage negotiations is scheduled for next Tuesday.
While the railway strike was scheduled to end at 11am, Deutsche Bahn has warned it would not resume long-haul services until at least 1pm on Friday. Delays and cancelations are expected throughout the day, the operator warned.
“All who can replan their trip, should do this,” Deutsche Bahn official Martin Seiler advised. Deutsche Bahn officials accused EVG of losing “its sense of proportion” and provoking “chaos.” In the meantime, walkouts by security personnel at airports organised by the Verdi union in Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Stuttgart are underway as workers demand pay increases.
With around 700 departures having been cancelled by strikes at the first three locations yesterday, ADV airport association estimated that airport strike has affected 45,200 passengers on Thursday alone, with that number expected to reach 100,000 by the end of Friday.