Germany paralysed by strikes

German public sector unions flexed their muscles yesterday when 100,000 members of Verdi, the service sector union, walked out of their jobs. Train and bus services were halted in the capital Berlin, with the national train network threatened by further strikes next week, and Lufthansa was forced to cancel 300 flights. The dispute was triggered by a union demand for an eight per cent pay hike, while Angela Merkel's government would only offer five per cent.