BERLIN, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Workers in the metal and electronics industry have announced the imminent start of day-long "warning strikes" across Germany on Monday.
At least 250 German firms are affected in total by the "warning strikes", including household names such as the truck manufacturer MAN and U.S. automotive firm Ford. Many senior corporate figures have publicly criticized the escalation of the dispute over working conditions, warning that Germany's electronics and metal industry could suffer severe reputational damage as a consequence.
According to an IG Metall statement, the industrial action would commence on Tuesday at 10 p.m. local time in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia. Around 70 firms would participate in the first round of what the trade union described as an attempt to bring industry-wide production to a standstill.
The strikes are a response to the recent failure to resolve a long-standing dispute over collective wage agreements between management and workers representatives in the German metal and electronics industry. Earlier plans to hold further talks on Wednesday have been cancelled.
The Bavarian branch of IG Metal first called for an "end to the cosy relationship" with management representatives were unwilling to grant the trade union's request of more flexible working hours. Specifically, workers want to enshrine the possibility to temporarily reduce their hours whilst receiving full pay, a demand resisted by employers.
Employers have further announced that they would take legal action to prevent the proposed changes to the collective wage agreement on the grounds that it would discriminate against workers who had previously taken partial-leave without receiving full financial compensation.
German manufacturers have accumulated record levels of outstanding orders and are currently struggling to keep up with booming international and domestic demand for their goods. Economists have repeatedly warned that capacity-constraints pose a serious risk to the maintenance of Germany's current economic momentum.
