Germany's largest rail operator Deutsche Bahn announced on Saturday that it had clinched an eleventh-hour deal with trade unionists to avert a 50-hour strike that was expected to paralyze traffic
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2023) Germany's largest rail operator Deutsche Bahn announced on Saturday that it had clinched an eleventh-hour deal with trade unionists to avert a 50-hour strike that was expected to paralyze traffic.
The EVG transport union called a "warning strike" starting Sunday night after talks on new collective bargaining deals with Deutsche Bahn and dozens of other railway companies hit a roadblock.
"Good news for millions of train passengers and freight customers: The EVG's 50-hour warning strike has been called off at the last moment," the rail operator said in a statement.
Deutsche Bahn's head of personnel Martin Seiler said negotiators agreed during the last-ditch talks in Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon that they would act "promptly and constructively" to sort out their differences. Both sides recognized that the minimal wage was part of the solution.
The breakthrough does not mean there will be no traffic disruption on Monday and Tuesday, the rail operator conceded. Some 50,000 long-distance and regional trains were cancelled ahead of the strike, and train schedules will have to be adjusted.
