DaimlerChrysler Workers stage large-scale protests

About 60,000 DaimlerChrysler workers took part in protests Thursday across Germany, opposing the German-American automotive group's deep cost cuts plan.

About 20,000 workers attended a rally at the main Mercedes plant in Sindelfingen, near Stuttgart, while around 10,000 walked out at Untertuerkheim plant, also near Stuttgart.

DaimlerChrysler said Monday it might cut 6,000 jobs at the Sindelfingen plant and move production of its Mercedes-Benz brand C-Class cars to Bremen or South Africa unless workers agree to reduced shift premiums and less paid break time.

The group is seeking to save 500 million euros (618 million dollars) in annual personnel costs at Mercedes unit, but workers have so far made concessions to 200 million euros.

Workers at DaimlerChrysler plants in Mannheim, Woerth and Bremen Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin also joined Thursday's protests, the biggest one in several years at DaimlerChrysler, according to German News Agency DPR.

Many German companies are considering either cutting workers' benefits or moving plants to Eastern European countries to reduce production costs.