Frankfurt--German rail travel was paralysed Wednesday by an open-ended strike, the ninth stoppage in less than a year, as the government prepares a law to stop small unions from bringing entire sectors to a standstill.
Railways operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) said it cancelled two thirds of long-distance passenger services Wednesday as train drivers staged a new walk-out that was expected to last more than a week.
The strike, the latest flare-up in a protracted and increasingly bitter dispute, had begun Tuesday, initially affecting freight trains, but was extended to passenger services from 0000 GMT Wednesday.
The drivers' union GdL has not said how long the strike would last, only that it would be longer than a six-day industrial action at the start of May. It said it would give 48 hours' notice before the strike ends.
The industrial dispute centres on wages, work hours and negotiating rights between the small GdL union and the national rail operator.
In early May the union staged a nearly week-long walkout, the longest in DB's history, which industry groups estimated cost Europe's top economy almost half a billion euros ($550 million).
AFP
