PSA's chief seeks meeting with British PM on planned Vauxhall takeover

[February 18, 2017]  PARIS (Reuters) - PSA Group's <PEUP.PA> Chief Executive Officer has asked for a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the planned acquisition of General Motors' <GM.N> Opel and Vauxhall operations, a spokesman for the French carmaker said on Saturday.

Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Managing Board of French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, attends a news conference on media day at the Mondial de l'Automobile, the Paris auto show, in Paris, France, September 29, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen

"Carlos Tavares has asked to meet Theresa May," the spokesman said. "It's the same approach that we've engaged with the German authorities."

Talks on a sale of GM's European arm to PSA were confirmed by both companies on Tuesday, raising concerns in London and Berlin over possible job cuts. Germany accounts for half of GM Europe's 38,000 staff, with 4,500 in Britain where the company operates under the Vauxhall brand.

Two sources close to PSA said on Thursday that job and plant cuts were part of the tie-up talks, with the two Vauxhall sites in Britain in the front line.

(Reporting by Laurence Frost; Writing by Mathieu Rosemain; editing by John Stonestreet)

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