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Massive German Railway and Transport Strike Shuts Down Rail Traffic

Massive German Railway and Transport Strike Shuts Down Rail Traffic
photo: Volker Emersleben / DB AG/Massive German Railway and Transport Strike Shuts Down Rail Traffic
29 / 03 / 2023

The Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft (EVG), Germany's largest railway and transport union, initiated a massive strike on March 27, 2023, with over 30,000 employees participating. The union's demands include better pay for workers due to high energy prices and inflation. As negotiations began with TVöD, a body that determines salaries based on experience and family situation, the strike led to the suspension of DB long-distance rail traffic and the closure of regional and S-Bahn services.

Deutsche Bahn called the strike "exaggerated, groundless, and unnecessary," stating that negotiations had just begun and an offer was already on the table. Public transport workers across Germany, including rail, bus, and air transport, also went on a one-day strike as part of the pay dispute.

The ver.di union is negotiating on behalf of around 2.5 million public sector employees, while EVG represents 230,000 workers from rail and bus transport companies. EVG demands a 12% wage increase (EUR 650 per month), while ver.di seeks a 10.5% increase (EUR 500 per month). DB and other public employers propose a 5% average wage increase and a one-time payment of up to EUR 2,500. However, the offered wage increase is below the 2022 inflation rate of 6.9%.

The strike has resulted in suspended flights at Munich, Frankfurt, Bremen, Hamburg, and Stuttgart airports, causing significant disruptions to transportation across the country.

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