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German union alerts of Thyssenkrupp standoff, Ford action over job and plant cuts

Germany's biggest union threatened a prolonged standoff with Thyssenkrupp Steel over job cuts on Wednesday and promised action over layoffs at Ford, adding to a wave of commercial strife striking the country.

IG Metall made the risks in separate statements after both business signified thousands of task losses as they have a hard time to lower expenses in the face of competitors from more affordable Asian rivals and a sluggish economy that has actually eaten into their earnings.

This conflict will be a marathon, said Knut Giesler, the union's head in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, adding: We. will utilize all legal steps to bring our anger to the streets.

Volkswagen is also locked in a bitter standoff. with its labor force over cost-cutting steps and the possibility. of the German automaker's first factory closures on home soil.

Difficulties in Europe's largest economy threaten Germany's. status as an industrial powerhouse in the run-up to elections in. February next year, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's economic. record under analysis.

Scholz has been in touch with the works council over the. reorganizing strategies at Thyssenkrupp, which traces its. steel-making service to the early 1800s.

The firm plans to cut some 40% of its labor force at the system. over the coming years. IG Metall said it would not participate in. talks unless management eliminated task cuts and factory closures.

Handelsblatt paper reported earlier that Thyssenkrupp. has actually not drawn up a comprehensive proposal on how it aims to cut the. jobs, raising concerns over the viability of its restructuring.

A representative for the steel unit did not instantly. react to an emailed request for comment.

IG Metall said separately that strategies to cut countless. tasks at Ford would spell the demise of the U.S. car manufacturer's. production website in Cologne.

This would be an incremental death, stated IG Metall. representative Kerstin Klein.

We understand the toolbox available in such a disagreement and will. not hesitate in giving the labor force the appropriate outlet for. their anger, David Luedtke, a labor force agent, stated in. the declaration from the union.

(source: Reuters)