German engineering union says 77% of firms are in crisis mode or shut

German engineering union IG Metall said on Friday that 77% of firms it represents were in crisis or completely shut down - 10 percentage points more than in a survey it published before Easter.

"It's very clear that the ongoing crisis in vehicle construction and the widespread standstill there is having a huge impact on other industrial sectors," IG Metall said in a statement, adding: "The situation in companies is worrying."