> Mercedes-Benz has decided to halt “all further investments” in Germany and warned that plant closures were now an option, marking an escalation of its stand-off with unions in a bid to reduce labour costs.

> The German premium carmaker has called for longer working hours without extra pay to boost productivity but has failed to reach a deal with its works council despite four months of negotiations.

> In an interview with board members published on the company’s intranet on Thursday, its production head Michael Schiebe said “the current cost structures do not allow us to invest in Germany”.