Hundreds of German rail workers walked off the job on Thursday at the start of a 42-hour strike of freight routes that threatens to disrupt manufacturing. The GDL train drivers union rejected an offer from Deutsche Bahn for a new round of wage talks and stopped work at noon (1100 GMT).
They plan to stay out until 6 am on Saturday. The walkout may be the most disruptive chapter of the wage dispute. The union began a series of short strikes in July and most action has so far hit local commuters.