Frankfurt - Tens of thousands of workers belonging to Germany's powerful engineering workers trade union IG Metall staged a sixth day of strikes Thursday for more pay.

Carmaker Ford, electrical and engineering giant Siemens and auto suppliers Bosch were among the dozens of firms targeted by token stoppages across the country.

The union has been stepping up its strikes each day to raise the pressure, but a strike in all plants at the same time has not begun yet.

"Employers can avert an all-out strike if they make us an offer" we can can discuss, IG Metall chairman Berthold Huber told a rally of 7,000 Ford workers in Cologne.

The union said it would decide next Tuesday on whether to escalate the wage battle into an all-out strike if its demands for an 8 per cent pay hike are not met.

Employers and union leaders are due to meet in Stuttgart on Tuesday for a fourth-round of negotiations.

The union has rejected an offer of 2.1 per cent more pay for 3.6 million industry workers, calling it derisory. Employers say they cannot offer more because of the current economic uncertainty.

The strikes come at a time when carmakers such as Daimler, Opel and BMW have announced temporary closures of factories to save costs following a drop in orders triggered by the global credit crisis. (dpa)