Press Release No. 17/2010 Huber: “A clear and swift decision in favor of the Opel guarantee!”

Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall President Berthold Huber has called on the federal government to clear the way for a guarantee for the automaker Opel. He said policymakers missed the opportunity last year to break away from General Motors. “I appeal to your ability to learn. Don’t repeat the same mistakes. Now we need a clear and swift decision in favor of the guarantee,” Huber said at a demonstration by Opel employees on Monday in Frankfurt. “Mr. Brüderle, set aside your party’s ideological biases. Ms. Merkel, keep your promises,” demanded the IG Metall chairman.

The guarantee, he said, is the foundation for a more independent Opel Europe—one that is not merely an appendage or an extension of General Motors’ production line. The political demand for an agreement between GM and the workers on a restructuring plan, along with contributions from the workers’ side as a prerequisite for a guarantee, has been met. “Now politicians must fulfill their part of the bargain,” Huber said.

Huber rejected the accusation of a subsidy. This is not about subsidies in the billions, but rather a government guarantee of 1.1 billion euros. This guarantee is intended to secure future investments in new models and powertrains. “The guarantee itself thus creates the basis for ensuring that it does not have to be called upon,” the union leader noted.