IG Metall recently negotiated three wage deals with auto maker Volkswagon - and in all three, VW won significant concessions. Similar to the UAW in the United States, German labor unions are facing the grim reality that their workers are paid more highly than employees in other countries. With companies moving more and more toward global operations and maximum flexibility, German unions are beginning to face fears of wage and job cuts.
See "German Labor's New Reality", Mark Landler, The New York Times, October 25, 2005