• Sweden edition

Union groups: 'Save money - sell Saab'

Published: 12 Jan 10 13:16 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24338/20100112/

The heads of the local chapters of four trade unions represented at Saab headquarters in Trollhättan in south west Sweden have written a letter to US media urging General Motors to protect American taxpayers' money by saving Saab.

Below is the text of the letter in full:

WHY ENDANGER U.S. TAX PAYERS MONEY??

General Motor’s way to a healthy company has included the sale of Saab Automobile AB and the brand Saab.

As soon as this plan was announced several bidders for Saab appeared and still do!!

The best economical solution to save money/cost avoidance for General Motors is to sell Saab, rather than to wind down the company. GM will be left with a risk of huge cancellation costs and big risks of claims.

Since the US Government (US citizens) still own approx 60% of GM, it is a waste of US tax payers money not to sell Saab!!!

Saab’s wind down impact on Swedish society is at least as big as GM’s impact in the US.

Save Money – Sell Saab!!!

Employees representatives at Saab Automobile AB

Paul Akerlund
Anette Hellgren
Hakan Danielsson
Kenneth Trei

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

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21:23 January 13, 2010 by anticommie
LMAO, its a waste of money let some china company buy it and move it were labor it paid their worth. The unions have destroyed companies. I am guessing union people think unemployment is a fair wage because thats what you get when you overprice your unskilled labor.
03:53 January 14, 2010 by volvoman9
@anticommie

The reality is that unions have raised the standard of living for the common man in every developed country in the world. If not for unions we would still be in the dark ages.This includes those individuals not fortunate enough to belong to a union. I would assume you fall into that category. Do you really believe a consumer economy is sustainable without a decently paid working class. Who do you think buys all this crap...the rich?

The auto industry in America was ruined by greedy short sighted management. They have failed to see the real future of the market for decades instead trying to create a market of their own myopic design. Sure the unions took what ever benefits they could from these idiots. Who wouldn't? Remember that collective bargaining requires two sides. The management gave into the demands of the union or the excessive pensions and unemployment insurance wouldn't have existed. No big issue when everyone is making money.

Unions are not a labor movement born out of the communist dogma but one created by a downtrodden working class fed up with the inequity that exists in the corporate and capitalist model. Read some history. Now I realize, Billy Bob, that the conservative, bible thumpin muslim hatin, jew hatin, GOP with their Sarah Palin sex fantasies are resistant to hearing or seeing anything that doesn't fit into their neat,safe, little view of the world. However the more enlightened of us are growing weary of your venomous mindless rants. Please take your double digit IQ and slither back into the swap from whence you came.
13:14 January 15, 2010 by Roy E
I do hope that SAAB is sold to a Swedish concern and that the company survives, but the phony concern for American taxpayer is quite amusing.
18:57 January 15, 2010 by 2394040
Supposedly the GM CEO said that if someone comes up with $450 million, then they can have the company. If no one is actually coming up with this, then why do we keep hearing that negotiations are still going on?

I think that from the beginning, the whole process has been an elaborate fraud. GM has not had any intention of selling SAAB to anyone at any price. I don't think any money amounts have been mentioned at all where actual bids are concerned. All tha's heard is that a bid has been rejected. It makes you wonder if any bids have actually been made. The way GM views it is, hey, if we shut down SAAB, that's just one less competitor to deal with.
09:11 January 16, 2010 by Nemesis
SAAB needs to be challenged by the Swedish government over this.

GM need to stop refusing to sell the company.

I do hope the buyer is Swedish, Scandinavian or European.

Most of all I do hope a way is found to save at least a majority of the jobs at Trollhatten.
14:41 January 19, 2010 by Rolf100
Labor Unions have indeed improved the lives of everyone BUT that was then and now is now. Today, Labor Unions are part of the problem and refuse to be part of the solution.

As far as a sale - the only offer I have read about proposes 75M in cash and the rest in stock. Why would GM do that? They would essentially own a company that is run by others. Unfortunately, Saab may be worth more in pieces that as a whole.
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