MOSCOW - Railroad workers in Germany organized on Monday a four-hour strike to demand for increased pay, suspending long-distance trains, state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn said.

“Currently long-distance traffic is suspended,” Deutsche Bahn said in a statement.

The company added that regional traffic was also affected by the strike, with only a small number of trains commuting to and from Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. The strike severely affected train passengers and work commuters, who were advised by the company to postpone their travels until Tuesday. The company also said that purchased tickets would remain valid until December 16.

The strike occurred after payment negotiations between Deutsche Bahn and railroad workers’ union EVG failed on Saturday. The EVG was demanding a 7.5 percent salary increase for 160,000 employees, while Deutsche Bahn offered an increase of 5.1 percent distributed in two increments and a one-time payment of 500 euros ($569). Z“The employer made offers which did not correspond to the demands of our members,” EVG negotiator Regina Rusch-Ziemba said.

Deutsche Bahn states that it is “ready to continue negotiations at any time.” Another union, the Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL), which is also in the process of negotiating with Deutsche Bahn, threatened to undertake similar action if agreements were not made.