Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met Tuesday with Berthold Huber, head of IG Metall, the labour union that represents Opel workers in Germany, according to Russian media reports.
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ITAR-TASS reported that Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Putin, said the meeting was aimed at facilitating a deal by Russia’s state-controlled Sberbank and Canadian auto parts maker Magna to buy stakes in Opel.
At the meeting, Putin reportedly said the Russian government would use some of the union’s proposals on combating the ongoing economic crisis.
The Magna consortium, which includes GAZ and Sberbank, is still thought to be leading in the contest to acquire Opel, but speculation has risen lately that other bidders may be in with a chance to submit late bids that will still be taken seriously by GM.
