Strikes cripple German rail network, four airports

Railway workers protest in front of the Cologne Central Station during a nationwide strike called by the EVG rail and transport union over a wage dispute, in Cologne, Germany, April 21, 2023. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

BERLIN (Reuters) - Rail workers went on strike across Germany on Friday, mostly bringing national operator Deutsche Bahn's services to a halt in the morning hours, as protests over pay in Europe's largest economy widened.

Germany has witnessed some of its most disruptive strikes in decades since last year, when the war in Ukraine sent energy and food prices soaring, leading to union pressure for wages to rise in line with living costs.