German unions to hit railway, airports with new strikes

A German labor union is calling for railway workers to stage an eight-hour strike on Friday to back calls for an inflation-busting pay raise. Walkouts are also scheduled at three airports this week in a parallel pay dispute. The EVG rail workers union called for members to walk off the job from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, affecting about 50 companies that provide rail services. EVG said Wednesday that it had to increase pressure on employers. Separately, the ver.di union has called security and service workers at Duesseldorf, Cologne-Bonn and Hamburg airports out on strike on Thursday and Friday.