The Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany - Thousands of DaimlerChrysler AG workers rallied outside plant gates here and at other German plants Thursday to protest the company's threat to shift production and eliminate 6,000 jobs at its biggest German plant unless it can cut labor costs there.

The workers, many in bright red IG Metall union caps and hardhats, blew whistles and held banners in front of Gate 3 at the company's plant in Sindelfingen. They continued the protest by marching through downtown Sindelfingen, just outside the company's Stuttgart headquarters.

The rally followed a torchlight procession overnight at a plant in Duesseldorf.

DaimlerChrysler says it will move production of its Mercedes-Benz brand C-Class cars to plants in Bremen in northern Germany and East London, South Africa, unless workers agree to reduced shift premiums and less paid break time.

A number of large German firms are pressuring their employees for concessions such as longer working weeks for no extra pay, faced with a sluggish economy and competition.

As one of its chief targets, DaimlerChrysler wants to cut the five minutes of paid down time Sindelfingen workers accumulate every hour.

Worker waved signs with slogans like "Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind," and "Take away our break, we'll take away your peace." The action stopped production for several hours, union officials said. Police estimated attendance at 15,000.