On March 12, the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) called for a strike in a long and bitter dispute with the state-owned main railway operator over working hours and pay, drawing sharp criticism from the country's transport minister. The GDL union called on drivers of Deutsche Bahn's passenger trains to walk out for 24 hours starting at 2 a.m. on Tuesday. Drivers of freight trains walked off the job at 6 p.m. on Monday. The main sticking point in the dispute that has dragged on for months is GDL's demand for working hours to be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week without a pay cut.