FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Commerzbank employees and a prominent labour union on Friday called on the German government to oppose a takeover of the German lender by Italy's UniCredit. The joint statement from the Commerzbank works council and the Verdi union marks the starkest opposition yet by employee representatives of a possible tie-up between the two banks.

The German government has started an internal probe into its Commerzbank AG share sale after the transaction allowed UniCredit SpA to swoop in and take a major stake in the lender.

The German government’s decision to offload about a quarter of its holding in Commerzbank AG is driving another wedge into Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s fractious ruling coalition.Most Read from BloombergAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityThe Moonshot Plan to Eliminate Deaths on America’s RoadsCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.