400,000 strike in Germany over sick pay cuts

More than 400,000 car workers, ship-builders and others in Germany's metal-working industries went on strike in protest over sick-pay cuts, the IG Metall union said. The walkouts marked the 40th anniversary of strikes that secured the right to full pay during sickness.

A law passed last month allows employers to pay only 80 per cent. There have been a number of protests in recent weeks but yesterday's demonstrations were the largest so far. The employers' association Gesamtmetall said the strikes threatened Germany's competitiveness. Bonn - AP