Italian metal workers seeking higher pay went on strike Tuesday, blocking highways and rail tracks across the country in the latest of a series of work stoppages, AP reported. Both sides later said they were willing to resume negotiations, possibly as soon as Wednesday. Some demonstrators were involved in minor clashes with police as they tried to break through barriers outside the Milan headquarters of the industrial association Assolombarda. Auto industry workers also blocked a highway connecting Milan to Turin _ site of the February Winter Olympics _ while other metal workers blocked roads around the northern city of Varese and near Ancona, central Italy, the FIOM-CGIL union said in a statement. In Bologna, hundreds of protesters waving red flags occupied train tracks, reportedly for several hours, causing delays and cancellations. The strikes follow similar protests last week, and further walkouts were scheduled for Wednesday.
