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Frankfurt - The head of VW's workers' council said in an interview published on Monday he wanted assurances that luxury car maker Porsche would respect contract agreements and preserve jobs if it bought the European auto giant.
"We need a clear signal that the family which owns Porsche, and Piech recognise their social responsibilities," Bernd Osterloh told the daily Bild Zeitung in reference to Volkswagen supervisory board president Ferdinand Piech.
The Piech family is a co-owner of Porsche, which in turn holds 31% of the shares in VW, the biggest European carmaker.
"That includes respect for collective agreements and job guarantees," Osterloh said, adding "it will not work otherwise, not against VW personnel."
Porsche has indicated that it wants to increase its VW holding to around 50% and Osterloh has already warned the maker of the 911 sports car against cutting generous benefits enjoyed by VW workers if it takes over the auto group.
The works council, which is backed by the powerful trade union IG Metall, has had several run-ins with Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking, who has warned that if his group did gain control of VW, the days of "sacred cows" were numbered.
- AFP