Railway workers in Austria to strike Monday in pay standoff

Employers have said that would amount to a 13.3 per cent raise and is too much. OeBB said employers were offering an 8.44 per cent increase and strongly criticized the strike.Like many other countries, Austria has seen inflation surge this year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Railway workers in Austria are set to hold a one-day strike on Monday after a failed round of talks in pay negotiations.

The Austria Press Agency reported on Sunday that both sides said the fifth round of talks on pay for some 50,000 employees of about 65 railway operators, including the main national operator OeBB, had failed. That means that there will be no regional, long-distance or night trains on Monday, and that only buses and other public transport run by municipal authorities will run.

Labor union vida has called for an extra 400 euros (USD 416) per month for railway employees, which it says is equivalent to an average 12 per cent increase. Employers have said that would amount to a 13.3 per cent raise and is too much. OeBB said employers were offering an 8.44 per cent increase and strongly criticized the strike.

Like many other countries, Austria has seen inflation surge this year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The country's annual inflation rate hit 11 per cent in October.(AP) RUP RUP