in europe's largest economy, where ongoing protests by farmers have also snarled up the roads. dr ulrich hoppe is director general of the german—british chamber of commerce. we asked him how difficult this is making it for german businesses... if it's only for a few days, business will be able to adjust. but we don't know when the unions and the employers will come to an agreement. so, therefore it has created a lot of insecurity and as you have mentioned, the cargo trains are also on strike and that is an issue for businesses, especially from imports which come in from the ports and lots of containers are transported on rail. so the strike will work out and of course, the first three days of strikes, that might well be ok for businesses but if it's open ended and if there are more strikes to come, of course, that will add in terms of burden on businesses in germany. japan has long been known for its relentless work culture. employees are reluctant to go on holiday and almost no—one leaves the office before the boss.