Awwal 16, 1432 H/Feb 19, 2011, SPA -- German train drivers from the country's most populous region will go on strike Monday, union officials announced, in a stoppage that could have knock-on effects across the country. The strike will begin early Monday in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the country's economic powerhouse and home to the cities of Dusseldorf, Bonn and Cologne. The train drivers' union GDL, which announced the strike Saturday, expected them to have knock-on effects throughout the day and to impact rail transport in other states, according to dpa. The union wants all 26,000 rail drivers nationwide to receive a unified wage agreement, irrespective of whether they work for the national Deutsche Bahn operator or private passenger and freight rail operators. If no agreement is reached, the GDL has threatened further strikes in other parts of the country, including suburban rail services in Berlin.
