Hundreds of German steel workers have staged a series of brief strikes to press demands for higher pay. The IG Metal union says the two-hour "warning strikes" affected two plants and will hit several more.
Management has offered a 1.8 percent pay hike over the next year and a half. The union, representing 85,000 steelworkers, called that a "provocation" and demands 4.5 percent over the next year. Talks are scheduled for October 16.
IG Metal has 2.5 million members in automaking, electronics and machine-building industries.