Ground control workers at Germany's busiest airport are set to go back out on strike to back up their demands for higher wages and better working conditions.

The GdF trade union, which represents the workers, said the latest work stoppage would begin Sunday at 9 p.m. local time and run until 5 a.m. on Thursday. The approximately 200 tarmac workers, who, among other things, guide planes in an out of their parking spots at Frankfurt Airport, already held a series of warning strikes over the past two weeks, forcing the cancellation of around 1,000 flights.

Talks unsuccessful

The latest strike call came after talks between GdF and the company that operates Frankfurt airport, Fraport, broke down. The two sides had returned to the table on Thursday following five days of strikes. On Friday evening, the two sides confirmed that their talks, aimed at averting further labor action, had broken down.

During the previous strikes Fraport used non-unionized personnel to help keep most flights in the air. An average of 200 flights were cancelled each day the ground control workers were out on strike, but around 1,000 others went ahead.

pfd/sb (dpa, AFP)