FRANKFURT (Oct 7): A union for German train drivers called on its members to stage a nine-hour walkout on Tuesday to turn up pressure on national rail operator Deutsche Bahn over gridlocked wage talks.

The GDL union said it was calling a strike from 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Tuesday until 6:00 am (0400 GMT) on Wednesday.

In addition to drivers, conductors, catering staff, dispatchers and other staff were also invited to take part in the industrial action, the union said.

GDL is calling for a five percent wage hike and shorter working week of 37 hours and it complained that there had be no substantial negotiations with management so far on those demands.

More than 90 percent of the GDL union voted last week to take strike action following two days of stoppages in September.

Late Monday, pilots of Germany's biggest airline Lufthansa announced their fifth strike since the end of August, this time grounding freight flights over a dispute surrounding retirement benefits.

Pilots of Lufthansa Cargo will stage a walkout from 0100 GMT on Wednesday to 2030 GMT on Thursday and will "not operate any flight departing from German airports", their union Cockpit said in a statement.