Dispute to company pensions: such As Opel, under the low interest suffers

At Opel in Rüsselsheim, it's time again for the money. After the partial sale of the development center, the removal of thousands of Bodies without layoffs and a debate over the future of the training of Management and workers wrestle representatives in these weeks not only to the transmission plant and the blacksmith shop at the company's headquarters, but also to the occupational pensions.

Thorsten Winter

business editor and Internet coordinator of the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

a three-digit million sums in the year, and not just in the company pension scheme. Chief of staff Ralph cheek of the man startled the Opel workforce with the Embassy, the car maker is seeking a "fundamental modernisation of our occupational retirement provision". She was "mandatory, market-oriented, to be able to future-proof pensions" numbers. So far, the car maker says comparatively lush five percent interest.

cheek man speaks of the "necessary adjustments" as a result of the Corona-crisis and the transition towards electric mobility. Although Opel in the future, is sitting on the trunk are also two models with the electric drive to build the Astra and a DS each as a Plug-in Hybrid. But if managers choose such words, is clear: The employer is planning cuts.

"attack on the Opel-age care"

the representatives of The IG Metall Union in works Council speak of an attack on the Opel-age care. The indignation was in the workforce size. The result of the massive loss of jobs and the lack of future prospects "of many areas of the company's already damaged binding to Opel" declining further. "The deterioration of the old-age pension" from the back of the General works Council. By Opel degrades the thousands, to decrease the cost anyway, as he says. Also, the previous parent company General Motors have carried the lion's share, in order to Finance the pensions.

this note to the commitment of the Americans is true, however only for a certain period of time. General Motors has funded the operation of pensions up to the date of the sale of Opel to PSA, as it is called in the case of the car manufacturer. Since the late summer of 2017 must deal with Opel themselves to the money for the company pension scheme.

What does that mean, in the financial statements of the Opel Automobile GmbH reading. Thus, the car maker in 2018, had to make 180 in millions of euros interest expense from the pension obligation. That is to say: He had to donate this sum to the interest rate offer, as it is called. How high is the subsidy necessary because of the low interest rates have been in the past year, will be in the annual financial statements, 2019 not yet published. However, it is in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the sum is not significantly lower.