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Germany’s railway workers are set to strike on Friday, to add pressure to ongoing wage negotiations.
The railway workers’ union EVG announced the planned strikes on Wednesday, saying workers need higher salaries to combat price rises and high inflation.
“We must increase the pressure on employers who think they can ignore their employees’ demands,” the union said in a statement, following a previous strike at the end of March.
Friday’s strike is due to last from 03:00 CET to 11:00 CET, across the country.
“This is not about punishing passengers in the run-up to the weekend, but about increasing pressure on the employers who have not made an acceptable offer,” EVG’s Cosima Ingenschay told in a video.
EVG represents employees from 50 companies, including the German state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn.
The union is demanding a 12% increase over twelve months — or a minimum increase of €650 — rejecting the one-off inflation bonus proposed by the employers.
Although inflation slowed to 7.4% in March, far from the peak of 8.8% last October, it remains relatively high.
“Rail and transport companies are already suffering from a major staff shortage and new employees can only be recruited if they are better paid,” the statement added.
The work stoppage comes against a backdrop of strong social mobilisation in Germany, where strikes over wages have multiplied since the beginning of the year, from schools to hospitals, including the Post Office.
The last strike on 27 March paralysed the entire transport sector, including airports, for 24 hours, on the call of the EVG and the public services union, Verdi.
The union, which represents some 2.5 million employees, has also been engaging in tense negotiations with the state and municipalities for several weeks. These talks are due to resume on Saturday, aiming to reach a wage agreement.
Verdi has called on security employees at several German airports to stop working from Thursday to Friday.
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