GM’s German Unit, Workers Agree on Plan

General Motors Corp.’s European arm has agreed with workers’ representatives to implement a turnaround plan without forced layoffs or factory closures on the continent, the works council said.

GM’s German unit, Adam Opel, said last week that the European operations would shed thousands of jobs and might close one of 13 car plants in an attempt to return to profit by 2003.

Outlining a plan to save more than $1.8 billion a year, Adam Opel Chief Executive Carl-Peter Forster said production capacity would be cut by 15%, or as many as 350,000 vehicles. Component factories and other peripheral business also are to be sold or folded into joint ventures with outside suppliers.