Germany’s Biggest Wage Talks Keep ECB Officials in Suspense

Germany’s biggest labor union is locked in talks with employers over a pay deal for about 3.9 million workers, in one the most significant domestic showdowns of Europe’s energy crisis so far.

The talks pit IG Metall and its members in the metals and electronics industry against companies represented by the Gesamtmetall employers’ association. Seeking compensation for rampant price increases, the union is making the toughest demand since 2008. The employers say they can’t afford to lift wages just as a recession takes hold.