Opel Restructuring Deal Could Be Three Months Away
Adam Opel labor leader Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug tells reporters that the company could have an agreement with its unions about a turnaround plan in two to three months.
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Adam Opel labor leader Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug tells reporters that the company could have an agreement with its unions about a turnaround plan in two to three months.
Opel parent General Motors Co. said late last year and again in February that it expected to unveil a restructuring plan by March. Then it said the program might be ready by May or June.
The company and its unions appear to still be far apart on any agreement about job cuts, plant closings and efficiency improvements.
Schaefer-Klug reiterates labor's complaint that GM and Opel continue to negotiate separately at individual plants instead of meeting jointly with labor representatives from across Europe. The unions contend the company is trying to pit factory workforces against each other to win concessions in exchange for a promise to keep the facility open.
Schaefer-Klug said on Monday that Opel plans to end production of the Astra compact car in Russelsheim, Germany, by 2015. Workers fear that the subsequent shifting of work within German facilities could result in the closing of an assembly plant in Bochum.
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