Germany's main industrial union is poised to begin a wage strike

Germany's main industrial union is poised to begin a wage strike after workers expected to boycott the night shift at DaimlerChrysler's flagship car plant.

Leaders of the 2.7-million member IG Metall union, which also represents workers in electronics and engineering, say they'll disrupt production with one-day work stoppages at major employers in southern Baden-Wuerttemberg state.

The union told some 2,000 workers at DaimlerChrysler's Sindelfingen works to stay home from the late shift.

The stoppage is to spread on Monday to tractor maker John Deere, which has a plant in Mannheim, and luxury car makers Porsche and Audi.

IG Metall head Klaus Zwickel plans to address workers before what would have been the day shift at Porsche in Zuffenhausen.

Any wage settlement in Baden-Wuerttemberg is expected to set the pattern for workers across Germany.

Most contracts are negotiated between unions and regional employer associations representing entire industries, not company by company.

Pay talks broke down April 19 after the union rejected the employers' offer of a 3.3 percent increase for 15 months. Employers say they can't go any higher, and some economists say any increase over 3 percent endangers jobs and fuels inflation.

The union has said it wants a 6.5 percent increase as part of a one-year deal to compensate workers for moderate increases in the past, inflation and higher productivity, though observers expect it to settle for less.

The union has moved toward strike action despite appeals from Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for a deal that doesn't trample signs of economic recovery in Germany, which suffered a mild recession in the second half of last year.