Members of a union representing German train drivers vote for open-ended strikes in bitter dispute

Members of a union representing German train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to stage open-ended strikes in a bitter dispute with the main national railway operator over working hours and pay. The GDL union said Tuesday that 97% of members who voted in a ballot authorized fully fledged strikes at state-owned Deutsche Bahn. That result easily beat the 75% approval required. GDL already has staged two one-day “warning strikes” which is a common tactic in German wage negotiations. But this dispute has escalated unusually fast. GDL’s chairman declared last month that negotiations with Deutsche Bahn had failed after only two rounds of talks. He says there will be no strikes before Jan. 8 but is leaving open when and for how long members will walk out.