German train drivers announce new strike

German train drivers demanding wage increases from their employer, the national rail operator Deutsche Bahn, on Monday announced they would hold their seventh strike in 10 months this week.

Freight train drivers will be on strike from Tuesday 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) to Friday 7:00 am (0500 GMT), and passenger train operators will stop working from Wednesday 2:00 am (0000 GMT) to Thursday 9:00 pm (1900 GMT), the drivers' GDL union said.

The union accused Deutsche Bahn of failing to act on issues agreed upon during 16 rounds of talks in recent months, while the company insisted it was ready to negotiate.

A string of walk-outs from September to November last year cost the Deutsche Bahn 150 million euros ($160 million).