Berlin (EFE).- Germany woke up today with rail transport paralyzed due to a warning strike called by the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) to pressure the current negotiation of the collective agreement.
The strike, which began at 3:00 a.m. (01:00 GMT) and will last until 11:00 a.m. (09:00 GMT), members of the nearly 50 companies in which the collective agreement is currently being negotiated are called.
In a statement, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) recalled that “DB’s rail traffic is currently paralyzed due to the EVG strike” and indicated that “the situation at the stations is currently calm.”
He specified that long-distance traffic has been suspended and will gradually resume around 1:00 p.m. (11:00 GMT).
In the case of regional and suburban trains, DB plans to offer as many connections as possible again according to the normal timetable as soon as the strike ends.
“Even after the end of the strike, customers will have to expect alterations,” he warned.
The transport of goods by rail has also been paralyzed and train queues are forming at the sorting stations.
“DB Cargo will do everything possible to quickly resume operations and serve customers as soon as the strike ends. Priority will be given to trains relevant to the supply, for example, of energy,” the statement said.
EVG, for its part, celebrated the “high turnout in this second national warning strike” with rail traffic “virtually paralyzed”.
21,000 employees on strike throughout Germany
In a statement, the union specifies that 21,000 employees are on strike throughout Germany and adds that actions are planned in 1,341 locations and some 25 rallies throughout the day.
Cosima Ingenschay, EVG’s chief negotiator together with Kristian Loroch, stated last Wednesday when announcing the strike that the fact of having to resort to this protest measure “is the sole responsibility of the employers, who until now have refused to engage in constructive negotiations.” .
EVG requires at least €650 more per month for all employees or 12% more money with higher salaries within twelve months.
The union has rejected the attempt by the German railway company DB to reach an agreement on the basis of the arbitration award in the public sector.
DB, for its part, spoke of a totally incomprehensible “escalation”, taking into account that the company already declared on Sunday its willingness to agree with EVG on a specific solution for the railway and aimed at the enormous volume of public service, but discarded immediately by the union.
Negotiations with EVG began at the end of February, and in the second round, in mid-March, DB presented a first offer, consisting of a single payment of 2,500 euros tax-free and a linear increase, which in the first twelve months would add 11%.
Today’s warning strike follows the “mega-strike” on March 27, called jointly by EVG and the service sector union ver.di, which paralyzed rail traffic across the country for 24 hours.