Opel. Stuck Again
The Opel negotiations are stuck – again. By the end of January, GM wants to present its final plan for the restructuring of Opel. An important part: The workers. Opel workers are supposed to forego €265m a year as a contribution to the cause. The unions want a share of the Opel business in return. Suddenly, GM balks at it.
Labor leader Klaus Franz: “If GM has ideological problems with us owning shares, then we need something else as collateral.” GM should propose alternatives. But they don’t. “At the moment, there are no new negotiations. We are at an impasse on several points,” said Klaus Franz to the German news agency DPA (via Das Autohaus.)
Nick Reilly needs the support of the unions. They have to sign off on the concessions, and on the loss of 9,000 of 48,000 Opel jobs in Europe. No agreement, no plan. No plan, no government money.
In the meantime, Nick Reilly has a motivational message for his people. According to Egmcartech, he “has asked his staff to not stay disillusioned and place blame for the company’s problems with GM. “That is only a poor excuse to avoid assuming responsibility for the difficult situation — it’s a victim mentality,” Reilly said.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Do I smell arrogance at GM?
With all the problems GM has to deal with on other fronts, keeping Opel was not a good decision. Not for GM. And especially not for Opel.