German media reports that German train drivers carried on with their announced strike parked their trains on Friday morning after a labor court ruled they could strike only on local and regional train routes. The three hour strike started at 8 a.m. Friday morning, severely complicating the morning commute of people going to work. However, state-owned Deutsche Bahn managed to keep trains running on most routes, but with less frequency, because not all of its drivers are union members.

The strike is the result of a conflict between the German train drivers' union, GDL, and Deutsche Bahn, over salaries. The union did not agree with the June compromise between Deutsche Bank two other rail unions, which resulted in an inflation-beating 4.5-percent pay increase. GDL wants a pay raise of up to 31 percent. "If they don't do this, then they should prepare for another battle with labor," union boss Manfred Schell said.

GDL planned a nationwide strike, but was forbidden to do so by a labor court in the eastern German city of Chemnitz. The court ruled early Friday morning that long-distance trains could not be included in the strike due to concerns that it would harm the German economy. "We cannot comprehend why we can't strike on freight and long-distance lines," Manfred Schell said after the court ruling.

German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee also warned in SPIEGEL that "a strike could have a devastating effect on the economy and the current growth."

Starting train drivers with Deutsche Bahn earn €1,970 ($2,781) per month, but the union is demanding a beginning wage of €2,500. The GDL train drivers union also wants to have its own tariff agreements with the passenger rail and logistics company.