German train drivers are to go on strike after failing to settle pay dispute in negotiations with rail operator Deutsche Bahn and its private competitors, their union said Thursday accoding to dpa. The train drivers' union GDL said they were left with no alternative to industrial action, after the employers brought about the failure of the negotiations. The GDL union wants all 26,000 rail drivers to receive a unified wage agreement, which would require an agreement with Deutsche Bahn as well as private passenger and freight rail operators. The union said it had not yet decided when to strike, but said it would follow a day of protest on February 16. The industrial action is to include regional commuter trains in the capital, Berlin.
