German Rail Engineers Call Off Strike

German train engineers were awarded the highest pay rise seen in Germany this year after staging strikes across railway network this week.

The German train drivers union (GDL) aborted strikes after rail operator Deutsche Bahn won a court injunction against walkouts, calling it 'illegal' today.

The two large German rail unions Transnet and GDBA accepted a 4.5% pay increase on Monday, the highest Germany has seen this year.

But a third union – GDL train drivers union – is demanding higher starting pay and raises based on experience which could take it up to 31%.

The current deal includes a one-off €600 payment for the second half of 2007 and a 4.5% raise in January which runs for 19 months.

The union said they will not stage any further strikes before wage talks with Deutsche Bahn leaders, scheduled for Friday.

The railway's net income almost tripled to €1.7bn last year as demand for freight delivery increased and more passengers took trains during the World Cup soccer tournament.