German Union calls two-day train strike starting late Sunday

Germany’s railway and transport union called its third nationwide strike this year after wage talks with state-owned Deutsche Bahn and other rail operators broke down.

The walkout is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. Berlin time on Sunday and run until midnight on Tuesday, the EVG union said in a statement. It argued Deutsche Bahn’s concession on including a €12 minimum wage in the company’s pay scales was “insufficient.”

In a separate statement, Deutsche Bahn said it will suspend all long-distance train travel for the duration of the strike, adding that most regional trains will also be affected. It urged affected passengers to rebook their tickets.

EVG called on workers to walk off the job at the end of March and in late April after rejecting an 11% wage increase offer from Deutsche Bahn. The union is pushing for a 12% hike.

Industrial action has gained momentum in Germany and across other European countries amid stubbornly high inflation and surging living costs.