Newly-elected Opel Works Council chairman Wolfgang Schäfer-Klug is remaining tight-lipped on any suggestions of a worker pay cut as the manufacturer enters a critical year.
Schaefer-Klug has a full in-tray just days after formally assuming the reins at Opel’s influential Works Council in Russelsheim, although he is declining to comment on reports workers may be asked to adjust salaries.
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“Currently there are no negotiations between the Works Council, the IG Metall [union] and the management,” Schaefer-Klug told just-auto in an emailed statement.
From 1 January this year, Schäfer-Klug is also chairman of the European Employee Forum and follows former incumbent Klaus Franz as vice-chairman of the supervisory board and chairman of the general Works Council.
Schaefer-Klug joined Opel in 2000 as assistant to the group chairman and as coordinator he was in charge of the European Employee Forum, being significantly involved in the European activities of Works Councils and trade unions during the restructuring of the past few years.
The new chairman was equally involved with the creation of an international trade union network within GM, while in 2010, he was elected as Works Council member.
“It is only together we can master the many little and big tasks coming up in the near future in the interest of our colleagues at Opel,” said Schäfer-Klug.
“It is pivotal to shape the work at Opel on the basis of the existing treaties and in the interest of the employees, while putting Opel on a sustainable basis for business.”
Much speculation has centred on Opel’s future, with parent General Motors’ vice chairman Steve Girsky conceding last week in Detroit that Europe remained “problematic” for its overseas division.
“In Europe, we have made progress in 2011 versus 2010, but we wanted to break even this year and that is not going to happen,” he said.
“The European industry is facing significant challenges – the message is we need to be prepared for a challenging environment for the foreseeable future.”
