Opel Workers Want Vacation Bonuses Back, First Warning Shot

As promised yesterday by labor chief Klaus Franz, Opel workers have begun the guerilla warfare against the American manufacturer. Their first move was to announce they are want, all 25,000 of them, their vacation bonuses, initially scrapped, and now demand GM to pay the balance of around 70 million euros in cash due next week.

Although aware this move won't be good for Opel, the workers hope, according to some sources, this will pressure GM into giving up Opel. "This is the first warning shot," one of the sources was quoted as saying by Reuters.

According to the reports, this is the mildest form of protest accessible to Opel workers. If they see no result, they could decide to ask the 4.2 percent industry wage hike from last year's collective bargaining agreement, initially idled for five years. This would mean disaster for GM.

"This would then represent an amount due equivalent to the equity contribution of either the two bidders, RHJ or Magna," the source added.

"We have run out of patience," Franz told Deutschlandfunk radio, quoted by Reuters. "We have been calm so far, listened diligently and made comments, but that is over now. If nothing changes from General Motors' side by the end of this week, then we will be active, and there will definitely be spectacular measures from us," Opel labor leader, Klaus Franz warned yesterday.

Although unlikely workers will resort to violent actions, the financial pressure they are willing and able to put on GM may force the carmaker to reconsider its position. So far, GM is said to be looking for funds to allow it to keep Opel.