Tens of thousands of passengers are expected to be impacted across Germany after the country's train drivers union announced a snap strike.
The GDL union said the walk out would begin at 22:00 local time on Thursday and last 24 hours, impacting the busy end of the working week commute across the major cities of Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg.
The industrial action was expected to cause thousands of service cancellations at Deutsche Bahn, with high-speed, long distance, regional and suburban metro services impacted.
"This strike announcement came at very short notice and we find this strike unnecessary and also irresponsible towards our passengers who are looking forward to travelling by train during the Advent season," said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Achim Stauss.
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Tens of thousands of passengers are expected to be impacted across Germany after the country's train drivers union announced a snap strike. /Reuters/Louisa Off.
"It annoys me"
"Our staff are working very intensively on the timetable changes, but still have their hands full after the extreme weather in Munich to get train services back on track," he added.
Deutsche Bahn has confirmed its working on a 24 hour "emergency plan" to try and accommodate impacted passengers, but stressed demand will outstrip seat supply and is offering ticket holders to delay their journey without financial penalty.
After four sets of strikes this year, the traveling public has grown accustomed to the sea of red awash the departures and arrivals board at Berlin Central Station.
"It annoys me, but I can totally understand them," said traveler Hans Gerling.
"Something has to be done, something has to be done politically. In short, I would say that people want a bit more money. And rightly so," said traveler Cosurkun Darcan.
Negotiations stall
But the latest action comes on the heels of a walkout on November 15-16 which caused more than 80 percent of long distance and regional trains to be cancelled.
GDL is demanding a $600 USD a month pay rise for its members, a one-off $3200 payment to help counter high inflation and for the drivers' working week to be reduced from 38 to 35 hours without any loss of pay.
GDL is saying it won't announce further strikes before Christmas, but is currently balloting for an indefinite strike from January if Deutsche Bahn management doesn't budge on their demands, taking aim at the company's human resources director who oversees pay and conditions.
"The railway workers are clearly giving him the red card and showing him that he who does not value the people in the company, the employees, he deserves exactly what is coming now. A warning strike," said the GDL Chairman Claus Weselsky.
"The ballot on December 19 will be counted and then, in January, longer labor disputes will also come to fruition," he added.
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