German railway workers threaten to disrupt train services

Published April 20th, 2023 - 09:21 GMT
German railway workers expected to strike
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ALBAWABA - It is expected that railway workers in Germany will strike again as they continue to demand higher wages, amid expectations that the strike will significantly disrupt train services.

The EVG union called on German railway workers to strike again on Friday, due to a dispute over wages.

"We must increase the pressure on employers who believe they can ignore the demands of their employees," the union said in a statement.

The strike is slated to continue from 3:00 am local time (01:00 GMT) to 11:00 am (09:00 GMT).

Train operator Deutsche Bahn warned that the strike would leave a "huge impact on trains' journeys", especially on "long-distance trains".

German unions are demanding a 12 percent wage increase over 12 months or a minimum salary increase of $711 and are rejecting the one-time inflation bonus proposed by employers.

A broad strike movement on Mar.27 paralyzed Germany's transport sector, including airports, for 24 hours, responding to a call of EVG and Ver.di unions.

EVG union represents some 230,000 employees in the country's 50 transport companies, the most important of which is Deutsche Bahn.

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