The head of the German automotive federation VDA said that German auto manufacturers predicted a serious supply crunch if a Spanish truckers' strike intensifies. "Several automakers are concerned that the strike will lead to production stops," a VDA spokesman said on June 12.
"If the trucks do not arrive Monday (June 16) in Germany it will be too late."
Three days of strikes by thousands of truckers demanding help to counter soaring fuel prices have caused chaos and shortages across Spain and Portugal, paralyzing several auto manufacturing plants in Spain. The protests have obstructed roads, causing huge tailbacks, and left supermarkets short of fresh produce and some petrol stations without supplies.
Spanish road haulage unions on June 11 resumed negotiations with the government that were suspended after a truck driver was run over and killed while manning a picket line.
Europe's biggest carmaker, Volkswagen said production for its Seat brand in Spain had been hit by the strike. But a spokesman for Daimler, which manufactures most of its components and motors in Germany, said its operations had not yet been affected.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2008
