TRAINS in Germany were brought to a standstill today by a strike over pay and working hours.

The three-day strike by members of the German Locomotive Drivers Union (GDL), with state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB), halted almost all regional, commuter and long distance services across the country.

DB spokeswoman Anja Broeker said: “The strike by train drivers’ union GDL has had a massive impact on train services in Germany.

“We regret the restrictions.”

The GDL union’s strike on cargo trains began on Tuesday evening.

In the wage dispute, the GDL union had already called two previous warning strikes last year, which lasted a maximum of 24 hours on passenger transport. 

The current strike lasts until Friday at 6pm.

DB had tried to legally prevent the strike, but on Tuesday night a court ordered that the action could go ahead.

Late last month, members of GDL voted overwhelmingly to stage open-ended strikes in a bitter dispute.

In addition to pay rises, the central issue is the union’s call for shift workers’ hours to be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week without a pay reduction.

GDL argues that it would make working for the railway more attractive and help find new recruits, while DB says the demand can’t practically be met.

GDL Chairperson Claus Weselsky said it was now up to DB to present an improved offer.

If there’s no new offer until Friday, “we’ll take a break and go into the next strike,” Mr Weselsky said in an interview on public broadcaster ZDF’s morning show after the start of the train drivers’ strike.

Germany’s Transport Minister Volker Wissing told the Bild newspaper: “A way has to be found that both sides can get along with. 

“That means talking to each other.”