German rubber workers, employers at impasse

HANOVER, Germany (June 6)—Wage talks between employers and unions representing workers in the German rubber industries reached an impasse at a June 2 meeting in Hanover. The IG BCE union, which represents about 20,000 tire and rubber processing industry workers, still is seeking a significant improvement on an employers' offer of a 2.6-percent increase over 16 months, according to union spokesman Manfred Warda. The two sides will bring the matter to an arbitration hearing on June 27, he said.