|
BERLIN (AP) -- Commuters using Germany's railroads were hit with long delays and cancellations Friday as train drivers walked off the job in a three-hour strike over wages. The 8-11 a.m. strike was called by the German train driver's union GDL in an effort to pressure railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG over its demands. GDL is seeking a cut in the working week by one hour to 40 hours and a pay increase of up to 31 percent for its members. It has rejected a 4.5 percent raise that Deutsche Bahn agreed to in July in talks with two other unions, Transnet and GDBA. The strikes went ahead after a labor court in Chemnitz late Thursday ruled they were legal, but could not include cargo traffic. The union limited its strike action to one day, but said if it receives no response from Deutsche Bahn by next week they will organize another strike. The railway put an emergency plan in place to keep some trains running using civil servant drivers who are not allowed to strike, unlike those represented by the GDL union. Deutsche Bahn said two-thirds of its 750 long-distance trains and about half of its 19,000 regional trains were running.
|