September 14, 2001

Olympia—Opel's Program for the Future

European Framework Agreement Clears Way for National Negotiations

Rüsselsheim. National negotiations are now on track to begin in conjunction with Olympia, Opel's program for the future. In high-level talks, representatives of GM Europe and the European Employee Forum (EEF) have reached a pan-European framework agreement that now only requires approval by the EEF committees. Local results and concrete initiatives resulting from the national negotiations are expected in the course of the coming weeks, depending on extent and content.

In the key elements of the framework, both sides tied down the common principles with respect to adapting production capacities, increasing productivity and flexibility, developing new business fields, cooperating with external partners as well as adapting employment levels. Those principles include the general support of the Olympia program for the future by the labor side and the assurance by management not to close down any sites as well as to conduct manpower adjustments in socially responsible ways. In the agreement, both sides recommitted themselves to the goal of returning Opel and GM Europe to profitability, growth and improved competitiveness by means of adequate measures and to thus safeguard the future of the organizations and jobs.

Assessing the most recent talks, Cheri Alexander, GM Europe Vice President, Personnel, stated: "The framework has cleared the way for the quick implementation of concrete measures on which we want to reach an understanding together with the employee representatives at the different European operations." Klaus Franz, Chairman of the European Employee Forum, said: "It was important that the agreement would enable us to conduct the up-coming national negotiations on a guaranteed basis. The key elements for us are: no site closures, no forced redundancies and no unilateral measures." European union coordinator Thomas Klebe said: "In my view, one of the main goals is that the rights of the employees and their unions are effectively protected."