German deal

Engineering industry negotiators in the east German state of Saxony-Anhalt agreed to a wage deal based on a compromise reached in neighbouring Saxony last week, Reuters reports from Magdeburg. The Saxony deal will bring wages up to 80 per cent of west German levels by the end of the year, but puts full parity with west German pay back by two years, until 1996.

Striking engineering workers in Saxony voted yesterday on whether to end their two-week-old strike, but talks in some other east German regions were deadlocked and angry steelworkers said they planned to extend their stoppage.