Rebel German rail union stages strikes despite deal

BERLIN, July 10 (Reuters) German rail transport was disrupted by warning strikes again today when workers in a rebellious train drivers union walked off the job during the morning rush hour despite a wage agreement reached yesterday.

The GDL train drivers union wants a separate deal and said it would not accept a 4.5 per cent pay increase that two bigger unions -- Transnet and GDBA -- accepted yesterday. The GDL is demanding pay rises of up to 31 per cent.

Deutsche Bahn had won a court injunction against today's strike by the GDL in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. But the union said it did not receive a court order preventing the walkout, which was due to last from 8 a m to 11 a m.

The Transnet and GDBA unions represent 134,000 workers while the GDL said it has 20,000 members.

Rail strikes are extremely rare in Germany, which has one of the world's most efficient rail networks.

Deutsche Bahn had raised its offer from 3.4 per cent to 4.5 per cent during long negotiations in Berlin that began on Sunday and resumed yesterday. It was one of the highest pay settlements in Germany this year.

The deal includes a one-off 600 euro payment for the second half of 2007 and a 4.5 per cent raise in January. The agreement runs for 19 months.

The Transnet and GDBA unions were negotiating together and had been seeking a seven per cent pay rise. Union leaders warned the deal must still be approved by one of their committees.

Three days of strike action by GDL and the two other unions caused massive disruptions for millions of passengers last week.

REUTERS AGL BST1416