One of Germany's biggest unions on Wednesday began wage talks with employers, striving for a 5 percent increase in salaries that could set the agenda for labor in Europe's biggest economy. The talks between IG Metall and the Gesamtmetall national employers' group, which negotiates for companies like DaimlerChrysler AG and Siemens AG, among others broke up with no agreement, but negotiators will meet again in March.
See "IG Metall Starts Wage Talks With Employers", Associated Press, The New York Times, February 7, 2006