Frankfurt airport hit by fresh strikes

Frankfurt airport, Europe's third busiest, was hit by a fresh wave of strikes, following earlier walkouts, after pay talks with management broke down, their union said. Some 200 apron control staff -- who direct aircraft in and out of their parking positions both from the control tower and on the tarmac -- have been striking since February 16. They want higher pay, increased bonuses and shorter working hours. The latest strike was to start at 2000 GMT Sunday and end on Thursday at 0400 GMT. The GdF union said late Friday that talks with airport operator Fraport had been broken off, opening the path for a new strike. Fraport insisted it had made concessions "on many points in the union's extremely high demands". Frankfurt airport, Germany's main hub, is Europe's third busiest after London-Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle. GdF repeatedly threatened strike action last year in a long-running wage dispute for regular air traffic controllers. A strike was averted when the union and Germany's air safety authority DFS reached a deal in court in October.