German transport workers parlysed local train and bus services Thursday on the second day of strikes by public workers to back demands for wage increases to counter rising fuel and food prices. After hitting North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, on Wednesday, Thursday's action was centred on the southern states of Hesse, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria and Saarland, as well as in the capital Berlin. In Hesse at least 15,000 workers were expected to strike, hitting public services including local transport networks, while in Baden-Wuerttemberg 20,000 were due to took part, the Verdi union said. Around 5,000 people were expected to down tools in the Bavarian capital Munich. A strike in the capital Berlin brought the city's public transport network to a near standstill in an action that could last until at least March 14. Rubbish collectors also stoped work. A one-day strike Wednesday caused chaos at airports with cancellations and delays around Germany including in Frankfurt, contintential Europe's busiest hub. Verdi is pressing for an eight percent pay hike for its 1.3 million members in the public sector. Employers have proposed a four percent hike and longer working hours. The two sides were to hold a fifth round of talks in Potsdam near Berlin on Thursday but Verdi said it was not optimistic an agreement would emerge. Germany's entire train network could also be hit next week with the GDL train drivers' union threatening to resume strikes in a protracted dispute with the state-owned rail provider Deutsche Bahn. The hard line taken by GDL, which has called a series of strikes since last summer, and by Verdi is seen as a sign that German trade unions are increasingly reluctant to cede ground in labour disputes. __
