German metalworkers union celebrates on back foot

By Jan Christoph Schwartz

HAMBURG, Germany, March 15 (Reuters) - Hounded on all sides by employers bent on cutting costs, Germany's once-intimidating IG Metall metalworkers union finds itself on the back foot as the country marks 60 years of modern trade unionism.

But Wednesday's commemorative ceremonies will fall in the shadow of a landmark wage deal last year that lets companies undercut sector-wide pay accords, so union leaders will mark the day to a backdrop of ...