MOST of Germany's train drivers staged a 24-hour strike today, the latest action in a long-running dispute over working hours with the country's main railway operator.

The walkout coincides with a strike by cabin crew at Lufthansa.

The GDL union called on drivers of state-owned Deutsche Bahn's passenger trains to walk out from the early hours of today morning.

The strike took place after a labour court in Frankfurt ruled against a last-ditch petition by Deutsche Bahn on Monday, attempting to halt the walkout.

The company said that the notice of strike given by the union, announced on Sunday evening, was unreasonable.

But the court ruled on Monday evening that the strike was “not disproportionate to the circumstances.”

GDL announced last week that it would no longer provide 48-hours' notice ahead of any strike action. 

The union wants a reduction in working hours from 38 to 35 hours per week without a pay cut.

Some smaller private operators on regional services have agreed to the demand.

Mediators suggested a reduction from 38 to 36 hours by 2028, but the union turned down the proposal. 

The latest GDL action — the sixth in a dispute that started last year — coincided with a separate 19-hour strike by Lufthansa cabin crew on flights departing from Frankfurt, the airline's main hub.

The UFO union called on cabin crew to take action as it seeks a 15 per cent pay increase and one-time payments of €3,000 (£2,500) per employee to offset inflation.

A similar walkout by cabin crew on flights departing from Munich is set to follow on Wednesday. 

Lufthansa estimated ahead of the walkouts that a total of 1,000 flights would be cancelled over the two days.

The latest strikes follow a walkout last week by ground staff for Lufthansa in a dispute involving a different union.