11.   Only small numbers of employees abandoned the walkout, which was called to protest a planned merger of two major commercial banks that workers fear will cause layoffs.

12.   Plant manager Wallace Horton said the layoffs were caused by competition from lower-priced imports and a depressed market.

13.   Company officials said Wednesday the layoffs are caused by unprofitable operations in Russia, Latin America and the Pacific Rim.

14.   He acknowledged that tight liquidity pressures had resulted in the reduction of production operations and had even caused layoffs in cash-starved businesses.

15.   In addition to financial benefits, workers complain that corporate reforms, pushed by President Kim Dae-jung, are causing mass layoffs.

16.   IG Metall is using the one-day strikes to apply pressure without idling plants completely and causing layoffs.

17.   Labor unions fear the restructuring will causes mass layoffs.

18.   Now, many fear that rationing could plunge the country into recession and cause widespread layoffs.

19.   South Korea currently is pushing for a restructuring of the banking industry through mergers among major commercial banks, which workers fear would cause mass layoffs.

20.   That was seen as a ploy to please an electorate worried that the IMF package will cause mass layoffs.