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General Motors (GM) and Peugeot owner PSA said this week they
were in talks over a possible sale of Opel, known as Vauxhall in
Britain, causing alarm in Berlin and London over possible job
cuts and factory closures.
"The fundamental basis for these talks ... must be the
unequivocal recognition and implementation of existing
agreements for all Opel/Vauxhall sites," the German and European
works councils and trade union IG Metall said in a statement.
"Our objective must be to seize the existing opportunities to
safeguard employment and sites to create a successful Opel/Vauxhall,"
said Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug, chairman of the European works
council.
German government officials have met with bosses of PSA and GM
regarding the talks, which are at an advanced stage, a
government spokeswoman said. She said any job guarantees were a
matter for company managers and labour representatives.
Opel Chief Executive Karl-Thomas Neumann tweeted: "A combination
with PSA makes fundamental sense. I have great understanding for
our staff and customers' many questions."
At Opel's headquarters in Ruesselsheim near Frankfurt, where
Schaefer-Klug briefed staff for about 45 minutes on Friday,
workers took the latest twist in Opel's fate in their stride.
"Comment allez-vous?" one grinning worker greeted another
following the meeting.
(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Writing by Georgina Prodhan;
Editing by Maria Sheahan and Mark Potter)
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