Porsche and VW Union Bosses Jostle for Power

by Robert Farago

September 21st, 2007 12:21 PM

porsche and vw union bosses jostle for power

The European Court has announced judgment day for its ruling on the so-called "VW law" thwarting Porsche's takeover plans: 9:30am, October 23. Meanwhile, union bosses at the two automakers are duking it out in the court of public opinion. Just-auto [sub] reports that the head of the Porsche works council, Uwe Hück, has called his opposite number at VW, Bernd Osterloh, an "out of control boxer" [pugilist, not engine]. Hück was responding to Osterloh's assertion that Porsche management had refused to meet with him to discuss future VW worker representation on the Porsche Holding SE's supervisory board. Osterloh's beef: [s]when[/s] if Porsche assumes control of VW, both unions get three seats on the new company's board. As far as Osterloh's concerned, this would give "Porsche employees" veto power over Volkswagen employees. As far as Hück is concerned, "Saying that a workforce of 324,000 carries more weight than one of 12,000 is capitalist talk. In a democratic social state, everyone has equal rights, whether they are big, small, fat or thin." What was that about divide and conquer?

Comments

Join the conversation

2 comments

FreeMan on Sep 21, 2007

Uwe Hück makes me think of my daughter's comment after a good round of expectoration.

Like Reply
AKM on Sep 21, 2007
"Saying that a workforce of 324,000 carries more weight than one of 12,000 is capitalist talk. In a democratic social state, everyone has equal rights, whether they are big, small, fat or thin." Huh? Does Huck mean, every "union" has equal right, or every worker? The way I read it, he's saying that the idea that 324,000 people have more of a say than 12,000 is anti-democratic. Again: huh? But there again, it's Porsche we're talking about. Maybe the management's aloofness has spread on to the workers' union.

Like Reply