German train drivers prepare for week - long strike

TIN news:      The drivers' union GDL called on train drivers to stop work from 15:00 local time for freight and 02:00 on Tuesday for passenger trains. 
GDL wants a 5% pay rise and the working week to be reduced to 37 hours from 39. 
"This strike is completely inappropriate and totally over the top," Deutsche Bahn said. 
"The GDL union is going to cause massive harm to rail passengers, Deutsche Bahn and its employees, but also to the German economy." said the train company in a statement.
'No results' 
GDL also wants the right to negotiate on behalf of other employees including train stewards. 
A 43-hour strike last month led to the cancellation of two-thirds of Germany's long-distance trains. 
Both the union and the company blame one another for the breakdown in talks that led to the new round of strikes. 
GDL said "no results" have been achieved in the negotiations in a statement on its website. 
Deutsche Bahn employs 300,000 people, including 196,000 in Germany and transports about 5.5 million people in Germany every day.