FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Union members at Deutsche Telekom AG, Europe's biggest telecommunications company, have authorized a general strike, the services union ver.di said Thursday.þþUnion leader Lother Schroeder, speaking in Bonn, said 96.5 percent of the union's members voted to strike in a dispute involoving layoffs, wage cuts and work hours. The union represents about 20,000 workers.þþThe union had rejected the company's offer to delay layoffs at its T-Service unit until 2011 in exchange for subsequent wage cuts by 9 percent until 2010 and an increase of work hours to 38 per week.þþ
Source: NY Times
