Berlin, 21 April 2023 (dpa/MIA) – A strike by transport workers shut down most rail traffic across Germany from early Friday, in support of a substantial pay demand to compensate for rising prices.

A separate strike was also affecting the airports Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, but not the main international hub at Frankfurt.

Rail union EVG said the strike had begun at 3:00 am (0100 GMT). State-owned rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB) said it expected long distance services to resume at l pm, but that knock-on effects would be felt into the evening.

DB human resources head Martin Seiler said the strike on the busiest day of the week would hit commuters hard. The EVG had lost all sense of proportion and was aiming purely at conflict, he said.

DB and EVG are to hold their next round of talks on Tuesday.

The strike is the second in a series aimed at securing a minimum pay rise of €650 ($710) per month for the lowest paid and of 12% for those on higher pay at DB.

EVG is negotiating on behalf of 230,000 employees - 180,000 at DB and the remainder at other companies - in talks that have been running since late February. The airport strikes, meanwhile, have been called by the Verdi services union.

EVG and Verdi joined forces to call a strike on March 27, shutting down all rail traffic for several hours and several airports at the same time.

Photo: MIA archive