Two-hour rail strike causes travel chaos

Striking railway workers at Stargard Szczecinski: photo - PAP/Marcin Bielecki

The action, which began at 7 am, was held in protest against cuts in benefits for retired railway workers, and followed the collapse of talks between trade unionists and Polish State Railways (PKP) authorities.

“We wanted to call off the strike, but the employers had nothing to offer us,” concluded Leszek Mietek, chairman of the Confederation of Railway Trade Unions, as cited by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

With freezing temperatures gripping the country, chairman of PKP Jacek Karnowski advised passengers to stay at home until the strike was over.

Meanwhile, customers waiting on platforms were treated to hot drinks while waiting for services to resume.

Passengers who had already bought tickets but decided to cancel all travel plans are entitled to a refund.

The strike took in four wings of Polish State Railways: PKP Intercity, PKP Linie Kolejowe, PKP Cargo (freight transport) and PKP Energetyka (energy supply).

Some regional services continued, but were faced with disruption owing to trains standing motionless at key stations across Poland.

The strike went ahead in spite of pleas from the transport minister and Polish State Railways (PKP).

Talks were set to resume this morning, with trade unionists calling for PKP to scrap plans to abolish travel discounts for retired railway workers. (nh)