Summary Nearly 400,000 workers have already joined a wave of shorter "warning strikes".
BERLIN (AFP) - Germany s powerful union IG Metall warned Sunday that metal workers will vote on major strike action if no agreement is reached this week in a wage dispute.
Nearly 400,000 workers have already joined a wave of shorter "warning strikes" in recent days, hitting big German companies including BMW, Siemens and Bosch.
"The IG Metall wants a quick deal, but on fair terms," the union s deputy leader Detlef Wetzel told Monday s edition of Bild daily, demanding employers raise their offer.
If no agreement is reached this week, "we will go to the ballot after Pentecost," he said, giving a May 21 deadline for a union vote on stepped up industrial action.
IG Metall is Europe s largest union with more than 2.2 million members. Pay talks in the metalworking sector are closely watched because they set the tone for other industries.
The union is demanding a 5.5-percent salary rise this year for 3.7 million metalworkers spread across different branches, from automobiles to electronics. Employers have offered a 2.3-percent rise over a slightly different timeframe.
