The Frankfurt Regional Court threw out a complaint by VW and denied an injunction. VW had accused Opel of unfair competition and defamation, suing for 10 million marks compensation. VW had wanted to defend itself against the claim, raised in the US, of having participated in criminal collusion. VW announced it would appeal today's decision. Trade unions point to increasing concentration of capital Duesseldorf.
Trade unions say more and more capital belongs to fewer people in Germany.
The financial burdens of society were carried increasingly by workers and the socially disadvantaged. DGB Vice President Engelen-Kefer said the time had come to make the existing capital work to create new jobs. Federal Government and opposition parties have voiced criticism of the sentencing of Chinese human rights activist Wang Dan. A court in Beijing had found Wang guilty of conspiring to overthrow the Chinese government, and had sentenced him to eleven years imprisonment. A spokesperson of the German Foreign Ministry called the verdict harsh and added that the government was going to continue to speak out in favour of human rights.