German train drivers walked off the job again on Wednesday (January 24) in what is set to be Germany's longest-ever rail strike, spelling more headaches for commuters with scant signs of a return to the negotiating table on the horizon, Reuters reports.
The strike, which began at 2 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Wednesday and is set to last until Monday evening, is the fourth round of industrial action in the GDL union's dispute with state-owned Deutsche Bahn and comes just two weeks after a previous strike ground national rail traffic to a near halt for three days.
A spokesperson for the national rail operator spoke of renewed "massive restrictions" across the country.
Drivers in rail freight are holding a simultaneous strike.
GDL leader Claus Weselsky told German public broadcaster ARD that he was ready to compromise in the dispute over pay and working hours, but said Deutsche Bahn's offers didn't go far enough.
