Belgian unions are asking for the identity of a potential Chinese investor interested in Opel’s threatened Antwerp plant to be revealed.
Two bidders were thought to be on the point of being unveiled this week, but Opel CEO Nick Reilly crushed such hopes yesterday (4 October) by confirming it was ending its search for an industrial investor.
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GM has declined to reveal the names of both bidders, but a labour organisation at the Antwerp plant is requesting the name of what it believes to a Chinese investor in order to start talks.
“We are asking as unions, to have the opportunity to talk to the Chinese investor without GM as we know they were interested,” ACV Metal principal secretary Eddy Dedecker told just-auto from Antwerp.
“We want to know what their offer is – GM did not tell us. We are asking now to get in contact – we don’t know who the Chinese investor [is] – they work with code names.”
The Flemish government in whose region the Antwerp plant is situated, has been involved in the discussions, but Dedecker said they were pessimistic about the plant’s future.
“They [government] is sure this is the end for GM in Antwerp, they are convinced.” he said.
Earlier today (5 October), GM told just-auto it had not been convinced a commercial bid submitted for Antwerp was detailed enough to go forward.
