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German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is cancelling all long-distance rail services for two days due to a strike, the company said on Thursday after a transport union called a strike.
The statement came after the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) called on its members to walk out from 10 pm (2000 GMT) on Sunday through to midnight on Tuesday.
After the plans for the 50-hour strike were announced, operator Deutsche Bahn said all inter-city IC and high-speed ICE trains are to remain in their depots for that period.
The EVG is trying to raise the pressure on employers amid a protracted dispute over pay with rail operator Deutsche Bahn and 50 other rail companies.
“Since there is little movement at the negotiating tables, we are now going on strike once again,” EVG bargaining director Cosima Ingenschay said on Thursday.
“We are striking for a total of 50 hours, significantly increasing the pressure because the employers are leaving us no other choice,” negotiator Kristian Loroch said.
This is the third nationwide strike called by the EVG since collective bargaining talks began in late February in the rail sector.
In March, it joined forces with the services union Verdi to paralyze large sections of public transport, including most airports, for a day.
The second strike in April ran for only 8 hours, but also led to multiple cancellations, especially in long-distance traffic. However, fears this would lead to chaos on the roads and traffic jams did not materialize.
The union wants staff to earn at least €650 ($710) more per month for the employees or 12% for higher earners for a 12-month period.
However, Deutsche Bahn is looking at a lower increase, more in line with an agreement made for public sector workers after lengthy pay talks.
Deutsche Bahn, which is owned by the government, initially proposed a tax- and duty-free inflation adjustment in a series of stages totalling €2,850.
In addition, wages and salaries are to be increased in stages from March 2024 by 10% for the lower and middle wage groups and 8% for the upper wage groups.
Deutsche Bahn employs 180,000 of the 230,000 workers for whom the EVG is currently negotiating.
