German trains delayed in western states as French rail workers strike
A railway strike in France is disrupting train services to Germany, due to industrial action running from Thursday evening until Monday morning.
Several high-speed trains between Paris and Frankfurt and Stuttgart are not running, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Friday.
Some of the trains coming from the French capital will also terminate in Strasbourg, where any passengers travelling onwards to Germany would have to change to a regional train.
The German high-speed trains operated by Deutsche Bahn on the routes to Paris and the Eurostar trains from Paris to cities in the state of North Rhine Westphalia are not affected by the strike.
The industrial action may also affect cross-border regional services, but to a lesser extent.
French rail service SNCF said on Friday that half of its high-speed TGV and intercity trains on domestic services in France would run during the three-day strike held as schools break up for winter holidays.
Some 80% of regional trains are to continue running.
Train conductors are on strike, calling for a pay rise of €150 to €200 ($162-$215) per month.
Operator SNCF counters that salaries have already been raised considerably in recent years and bonuses also announced for all railway workers.
There are growing fears in France that unions will be more willing to call strikes in many sectors ahead of the Olympic Games in the summer in order to push through demands and otherwise threaten disruptions during the games, which are likely to be watched by millions.
In further industrial action, the Eiffel Tower is to go on strike on Monday as workers complain about insufficient funding for the upkeep of the Parisian landmark, according to a report by broadcaster BFMTV.
