Continental: Wennemer's comments an

By Liz White, ERJ staff

Brussels-The German IGBCE union wants German politicians to mediate in talks with between Continental AG's tyre management. Negotiations between management and workers broke down 11 Jan, reported ICEM (the Brussels union federation which IGCBE belongs to).

IGBCE wants to prevent 320 job being cut at the group's Stöcken, Hannover, plant by the end of 2006, as announced by Continental in November

In a statement, IGBCE (Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie, Energie) said it "was outraged by press remarks made by Continental CEO Manfred Wennemer at the outset of those talks." Wennemer was reported to have predicted that German workers in the future will work 42.5 hours a week, and have two weeks less holiday.

Wennemer was also said to have remarked that the world could not care less about Conti's broken agreement with IGBCE. Under this agreement, Continental had pledged that there would be no job cuts, gaining flexible work rules and a 40-hour week in return.

IGBCE board member Werner Bischoff, vice president of Conti's supervisory board, said in the union statement that Wennemer's comments "poured oil on to the fire," and he called for an apology

On 13 Jan, the company's European Works Council members said that they would interpret with scrupulous accuracy the council's constitution and legal rules, intending to make Conti's normal business practices impossible. The central works council in Germany also took action by refusing to allow overtime work and opening health and safety inspections to civil authorities.

A mass demonstration against the company's broken promise is taking place 23 Jan in Hannover. Also. Workers are meetings also occurring on the same day at all Continental plants to discuss Wennemer's remarks and the Stöcken situation.

ICEM is the Brussels-based International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions.