German industry fulfils demands for forced labourers fund The German industry will pay its full share of the compensation fund for NAZI forced labourers. Tonight in Berlin, the spokesman of the foundation, Wolfgang Gibowski, said the industry had now pledged a total of five billion marks. Gibowski said the seventeen founding members had increased their contributions. If this was not completely covering the 1.4 billion marks that were still missing, the founding members would stand for the remainder. Industry representatives will meet with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder tomorrow to discuss the question of protection from compensation claims.
Judicial protection is a condition for paying out compensation money.
A short time ago, a New York court had refused to dismiss collective claims of Nazi victims. Judge Shirley Wohl Kram decided that, first, the money for the compensation had to be raised in full. The German government had provided its share of five billion marks already some time ago. Chancellor Schroeder said he was relieved that the German industry had raised its share of the compensation. On ZDF television Schroeder said the companies were fulfilling their moral duty and prevented image loss on the international markets.