Fiat Plan For Opel Signals Job Cuts

据一位德国高级官员称，如果德国汽车生产商欧宝(Adam Opel GmbH)与意大利的菲亚特公司(Fiat SpA)合并，该公司可能会关闭旗下一家工厂，这也首次显示出，菲亚特创建世界级大型汽车生产商的计划可能会造成在欧洲削减大量就业岗位。菲亚特首席执行长瑟尔吉奥•马基奥尼(Sergio Marchionne)周一会见德国官员，向其展示了菲亚特和通用汽车(General Motors Corp.)欧洲子公司的合并计划。通用汽车欧洲子公司包括欧宝和英国汽车厂商Vauxhall。德国经济部长古滕贝格(Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg)在会后的新闻发布会上说，该计划要求欧宝保留在德国4家工厂中的3家。古滕贝格表示，马基奥尼说在德国的裁员力度不会太大。古滕贝格还说，计划令欧宝在凯泽斯劳滕的引擎工厂前途存疑。菲亚特已经与通用汽车进行了数月的谈判，协商合并陷入困境的通用汽车旗下欧洲和拉美的业务。作为潜在交易的一部分，马基奥尼打算创建一家由菲亚特的汽车部门欧宝以及菲亚特在克莱斯勒20%的持股合在一起的上市公司。克莱斯勒上周在美国进入破产诉讼程序。菲亚特预计，三方联盟将产生约800亿欧元（合1,060亿美元）的年收入。不过要想达成协议，马基奥尼需要努力争取意大利和德国工会的让步。意大利和德国的法律都使企业很难裁员。马基奥尼尚未表示是否打算削减欧洲的岗位；不过他说，汽车厂商需要控制生产成本以便生存下去。菲亚特身负66亿欧元的净负债。它需要德国政府的财政支持，帮助为拟议的联盟提供资金。古滕贝格说，合并后的公司将需要至多70亿欧元的短期融资，这笔资金可能得到政府贷款担保。马基奥尼的欧宝重组计划还需要德国强大工会的支持。德国的工会强烈反对裁员，而且在欧宝的董事会中占有席位。凯泽斯劳滕工厂的可能关闭将令2,300个岗位处于危险之中。菲亚特发言人没有回复记者的置评请求。马基奥尼寻求并购欧宝是在德国9月份大选之前。出售欧宝的决定权在通用汽车手里，不过德国政府需要批准任何由国家担保的贷款。Stacy Meichtry / Marcus Walker相关阅读克莱斯勒称预计2012年前恢复盈利 2009-05-05UAW主席：克莱斯勒退休人员的福利短期内可能被进一步削减 2009-05-05德国经济部长：对菲亚特与通用汽车子公司的谈判持开放态度 2009-05-04德国经济部长：菲亚特计划在无负债情况下加入汽车业务新公司 2009-05-04 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月05日12:02', 'GM'));General Motors Co.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：GMdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年05月05日12:02', 'C.XX'));Chrysler Llc总部地点：美国document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月05日12:02', 'AO.YY'));Adam Opel Ag总部地点：德国document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月05日12:02', 'F.MI'));菲亚特公司英文名称：Fiat S.p.A.总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：米兰股票代码：FIAdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年05月05日12:02', 'FIATY'));Fiat S.p.a. (ads)总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：FIATY


German auto maker Adam Opel GmbH might close one of its plants if it merges with Italy's Fiat SpA, according to a senior German official, signaling for the first time that Fiat's plan to create one of the world's biggest car makers could lead to significant job cuts in Europe.Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne met with German officials Monday to present his plan for merging Fiat with the European operations of General Motors Corp., which include Opel and British auto maker Vauxhall.The plan calls for Opel to maintain three of its four plants in Germany, German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg told a news conference after the meeting.Mr. Marchionne described potential job cuts in Germany as 'not too dramatic,' Mr. zu Guttenberg said, adding that the plan left in doubt the fate of Opel's engine plant in Kaiserslautern.Fiat has been in talks with GM for months about a potential merger with the troubled U.S. auto maker's European and Latin American operations. As part of a potential deal, Mr. Marchionne aims to create a public company that would combine Fiat's auto unit with Opel, as well as Fiat's 20% stake in Chrysler LLC, which entered bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. last week.Fiat expects the three-way alliance to generate annual revenues of about 80 billion euros ($106 billion).To reach a deal, however, Mr. Marchionne would need to wrest concessions from labor unions in Italy and Germany, which both have laws making it difficult to lay off workers.Mr. Marchionne hasn't said whether he intends to eliminate jobs in Europe, but says that auto makers need to rein in production costs to survive.Fiat, which is saddled with 6.6 billion euros in net debt, would need the financial backing of the German government to help fund its proposed alliance. Mr. zu Guttenberg said the combined company would need as much as 7 billion euros in short-term financing, which could be covered by government loan guarantees.Mr. Marchionne's plans to restructure Opel also would need the support of Germany's powerful unions, which strongly oppose job cuts and hold seats on Opel's board. The potential closure of the Kaiserslautern plant would put about 2,300 jobs at risk.A Fiat spokesman didn't respond to a request for comment.Mr. Marchionne's pursuit of Opel comes ahead of German elections in September. The sale of Opel would be GM's decision, but the government would have to authorize any state-guaranteed loans.Stacy Meichtry / Marcus Walker