BERLIN (AP) — A union representing German train drivers on Wednesday called its members to strike for 24 hours this week, following the breakdown of talks with the main national operator in what is shaping up to be an unusually difficult dispute over pay and working hours.
The GDL union said the strike will affect passenger services operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn from 10 p.m. on Thursday until 10 p.m. on Friday. Freight trains will be hit from 6 p.m. Thursday.
The walkout follows a 20-hour strike on Nov. 16, when Deutsche Bahn ran a much-reduced long-distance schedule — as it has on previous occasions when GDL took industrial action. GDL’s strength among drivers and some other railway personnel varies regionally, and some regional services run by private operators aren’t affected by the dispute.
Limited “warning strikes” are a common tactic in German pay negotiations, but GDL may soon expand its action. On Nov. 24, GDL chairman Claus Weselsky declared that negotiations with Deutsche Bahn had failed after only two rounds of talks.
The union has already started a ballot of its members on fully fledged strikes, and…
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