European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse / Page 8 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday August 29,1990 air Force Brig. Gen. Richard t. Swope who commands the Kaiserslautern military Community places a Wreath at the Ramstein a memorial to the 70 victims of the Auk. 28,1988, air show disaster. Rheinland of ill Interi honouring Ramstein victims a amps Putno Lynda Davidson or minister Rudi Geil Ramstein mayor Julius diviner and Brig. Gen. Leonardo Tricarico of the italian air Force also paid their respects with Flowers at a Brief ceremony by the Sandstone Monument tuesday. E Berlin apr about 45,000 Public workers in several East German cities abandoned their offices or parked their buses tuesday in warning strikes demanding better wages and Job Security in a United Germany. Nurses secretaries bus Dri vers garbage haulers and other municipal employees stopped working for up to two hours in at least 10 cities. De Mons rat ions and rallies were held in a number of cities with workers demanding Job Protection and pay hikes in a United Germany. West Germany is pressuring East Germany to keep costs Down As a Means of helping bail out the nation from its economic dues West Germany is already spending billions to prop up its Eastern neighbor As the two countries prepare for political merger on oct. 3.effects from the warning strikes were Felt across East Germany in Potsdam outside Berlin buses and streetcars stood still for two hours reported the official East German new s Agency adn parked streetcars blocked key avenues in Magdeburg and dozens of garbage trucks hindered Access Tojo Security the City a main department store adn said. Operations at Magdeburg a Elbe River Harbor were temporarily crippled by the walkout said adn. Short strikes were also staged in Halle Sonneberg. Schwerin Frankfurt an Der Oder Chemnitz Zwickau Plauen and Schonberg. The workers arc demanding compensation for higher prices that have resulted from the two Germany so july 1 economic merger. They also demand that East German income taxes not be immediately raised to West German Levels. There arc about 1.6 million municipal workers in East Germany. In Bonn meanwhile the West German government said Western investors interest in East Germany is starting to pick up. The West German government had hoped for massive Western investment in East Germany once the two nations merged their economies on july 1, but so far interest has been scant. Dieter Vogel spokesman for West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl said East German officials reported a investment readiness. Is increasing noticeably a a he did not give any figures. Rhein main feels As air Crews crowd hotel base by Randy Pruitt staff writer Rhein main a West Germany a there s no room at the inn. The Impact of operation desert shield in the persian Gulf is having a door slamming Impact on the Rhein main hotel. Not Only is every bed taken but All confirmed reservations have been cancelled. The problem has been mounting since aug 8. To Date 546 non availability slips have been Given to the hotel was unable to a comm Date said Bob Erwin Rhein main billeting officer. A unless you re coming Here in direct support of desert shield rooms will not be available at the base hotel a he warned Erwin said 1,000 Beds in the hotel and the nearby airman a visiting quarters arc occupied by air crewmen participating in the Mission to saudi Arabia. A normally we Only put one air crewman per room before this happened a he said. A now we re putting two to a three people Are living in 108 rooms. The third person in each of the rooms is sleeping on a rollaway bed. In addition 250 people connected to desert shield Are being quartered in off base family housing buildings that were due to be renovated and 540 cots have formed a tent City on the base. The contract on the renovation project is being temporarily delayed. Quot and we re looking for anything else we can find a said it. Col Mike Reagan commander of the 435th services so. Erwin said the base is attempting to accommodate personnel on permanent change of station orders. A but anyone who is try even if they have confirmed reservations needs to make other billeting arrangements or change their try a he stressed. Off base lodging is becoming critical he cautioned Quot we re quickly approaching the Trade fair season in Frankfurt. Rooms will be hard to find or very expensive As much As 300 Marks per night a he said. While the hotel is a not at the Point of having to put out families to make room a those families already in the hotel arc being squeezed Erwin said. Under Normal circumstances a family of four is allowed two rooms with two double Beds and a private Bath. A Quot now we re squeezing four or five into one room a he said. A a that a the Only Way we can Stilt take care of them Reagan said he is advising people who plan to make connections at Rhein main to arrive on the same Day they plan to leave. Service members who planned to spend a night at the hotel arc advised to Call ets 330-7682 or commercial 009-699-7683 to review their options. Separation package leaves gaps at army depot by Ron my Kinney which Zrini Horci h Kwiw lie. By Ron Mck lanky and staff writers Mainz West Germany a More than 700 West German maintenance workers have accepted a generous separation package at the Mainz army depot creating Large holes in the company s skilled work Force. A the company Mlp los Handset Ungs Petrie he Gnich began filtering the package m March utter the . Government reduced the firms workload. Roeii Etgeton the administrative contracting officer at main army depot said the ump Force Lias been reduced from 4.7.15 in March to 4,020. An additional 1 13 have agreed to accept the separation package in the next few weeks. Under the package Ibe company pays up to Tine ear s salary in Severance pay which is reimbursed by the . Govern rent. A weeks salary is paid for each year of tenure up to 10 years two weeks salary is added for each year after 10 years. The departure of so Many workers left an imbalance in skilled positions. Mip has since restricted the package so that workers cannot depart from a skilled position that is understaffed. Quot its caused some turbulence a Edgeton said. Quot they come out with too Many in one skill and Loo few in another but they re 1,1. Col. John Vodus Deputy commander of main army depot said the pm Pany is a doing a great Job of retraining Quot it s not easy hut they re doing things in the right spirit a Voda said. The main army depot is the Only army depot outside the United states. It provides maintenance and Supply support to . Army Europe nato and some civilian customers at 18 locations. The facility at Mainz Gonsenheim for example performs depot maintenance Tor All wheeled and tracked vehicles in the european theater. The reduced workload pushed the company into a four Day workweek. The local nationals Lake. Friday Oil but still receive 65 percent of that Days wages trom unemployment benefits m an arrangement worked out Between the United slates and a West German government employment office m Mainz 1 through the plan the . Government helped save the jobs of 20 percent Oline company s original work Force. Most of the departing employees Are Young. For Young skilled labourers the civil us Job Market is looking pretty Good. Iney have a Jot of chances for jobs Quot said Hans Werner maus a master electrician for Light and heavy vehicles at Mainz Gonsenheim. The older germans Are concerned about their future in the Post cold War Era. A the older the people Are who leave the Mainz army depot in order to get a new Job on the Economy the More necessary additional qualification becomes a said Raimund Pfister a welding Branch Foreman who has worked at the depot for 16 years. Quot if we knew exactly at this Monte what parts of the Mainz army depot w be closed in the near future it would be a lot easier for the German workers to plan their professional future.�?�. Edgeton said officials Are allowing mip to open civilian commercial accounts on a Small scale. A a a a we re in the exploration phase Quot Voda added Quot but it looks it ill
