BERLIN, Oct 31: With a recession looming in Europe’s biggest economy, Germany’s largest industrial trade union IG Metall on Friday announced warning strikes this weekend in the key metalworking and electronics sector.

Union chief Berthold Huber slammed an offer by employers of a 2.9 per cent wage hike and said preliminary work stoppages on behalf of the industry’s 3.6 million workers would begin overnight Friday to Saturday.

IG Metall is seeking an eight per cent pay increase -- the highest the union has demanded in 16 years. If no pay deal is reached, “the real wave of strikes” would start Monday, Huber told Friday’s Bild newspaper.—AFP