Germany's Bahn makes wage offer to rail drivers

By Sylvia Westall

BERLIN (Reuters) - German rail operator Deutsche Bahn made the train drivers' union GDL a new wage offer on Wednesday after the two sides held talks in a months-long dispute.

The GDL said it would hold no further strikes until at least Monday. Its members went on a 62-hour strike last week, the longest rail walkout in German history which paralysed train traffic in Europe's largest economy.

"We have received an offer and we will evaluate it," GDL spokeswoman Gerda Seibert told reporters in Frankfurt. Neither side gave any details.

The offer came after two days of preliminary talks between Deutsche Bahn and the GDL, and opens the door for full-scale negotiations that were abandoned last month after the union rejected an offer from the rail operator.

An economic think tank said last week's stoppages cost the economy 75 million euros (54 million pounds) a day. Some economists say further freight strikes could cost the economy up to 500 million euros per day if they last more than a week.

GDL leader Manfred Schell said in a statement the union would decide on Monday whether the latest offer would allow them to enter full-scale wage negotiations.

Deutsche Bahn said in a statement its offer was "significantly better" but did not give details.

"We are ready for negotiations -- any place, any time," said Hartmut Mehdorn, Deutsche Bahn chief executive.