GM Pisses Off German Government And Decides To Keep Opel

Workers at automaker Opel planned walkouts to protest General Motor Co.'s decision not to sell the European subsidiary, while Germany's government vowed Wednesday to recover euro1.5 billion ($2.2 billion) it loaned GM to finance the sale.

Klaus Franz, Adam Opel GmbH's top employee representative, said workers would start brief work stoppages Thursday.

GM decided late Tuesday to pull out of the deal with Magna International Inc. and Russian bank Sberbank. It was an abrupt end to months of negotiations that saw Germany's government agree to provide euro4.5 billion in financial aid for the deal, reached in September.


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