German Aventis Workers March for Jobs

Several thousand workers at Aventis Pharma Deutschland, Aventis's German headquarters, took to the streets in Frankfurt on Tuesday to demonstrate against the possible loss of some 9,000 jobs. The workers were reacting to the takeover of Aventis by French competitor Sanofi. Union members and workers-council officials demanded a job-security contract for German subsidiaries. "We are expecting a clear declaration on the German work sites," a representative of the Aventis workers' council in Frankfurt said. A company executive meanwhile said that no lay-offs were planned in Germany as a result of the proposed takeover.