German train drivers ramp up pressure with longest strike yet

German train drivers walked off the job again on Wednesday 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. The strike, which began at 2 am (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.