German warned for strikes.

Europe’s largest industrial union demands an 8 per cent wage increase for 3.9mn employees in the automotive, metal and electrical industries to compensate for surging inflation. Employers have offered a one-off payment of €3,000 spread over 30 months, arguing they are being squeezed by rising energy costs and face a potential recession. On Saturday night, employees of more than a dozen companies, including ThyssenKrupp, the steelmaker, and Bosch and ZF, the automotive suppliers, began a rolling programme of what the union called quick warning strikes. The association said the impact on production was limited, but the stoppages demonstrate workers’ determination.«The employers’ refusal to enter proper wage negotiations triggered this escalation,» it added. Jörg Hofmann, IG Metall leader, has warned the union would step up strike action if employers failed to make a better offer by November 9, when talks are set to resume.

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