European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday August 10, 1991 the stars and stripes c Page 17 n so a is is \ % Quot a s k. S so Money matters today s tip West German workers already among the highest paid in the world won  increases averaging 6.6 percent in recent labor management negotiations a Union run Institute reports. The nationwide German labor federations research Institute said  hikes in Broad Industrial groups ranged from a Low of 4.9 percent in Coal mining to a High of 7.2 percent in Wood processing. It said some smaller More specific groups of workers won much higher raises a for example 16.3 percent for retail salespeople and Cashiers. Pay in Western states is roughly twice As High As in formerly communist run Eastern  rates London up fridays closing rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars Gold was quoted at $358.25 an ounce Silver at $3.96. Aug. 8 aug. 9 British pound.1.7035 1.6995 German mark.1.780 1.7255 French franc.5.8070 5.8490 dutch guilder.1.9195 1.9360 belgian franc 35.2625 35.4075 italian lira.1,278.6 1,287.85 Swiss franc.1.5055 1.5130 greek drachma.188.60 189.95 turkish lira.4,398.60 4,428.40 saudi arabian riyal.3.750.1 3.7501 Spanish peseta.106.68 107.56 portuguese escudo.146.40 148.13 Canadian dollar.1.14581.1460 austrian schilling.12.9975 12.0825 norwegian krone.6.665 6.715 danish Krone .6.6075 6.65 these Are unofficial rates As reported by wire service and banking sources and they Are listed to give some idea of daily currency fluctuations. The Only official rate concerns the Sale of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.68 monday based on fridays noontime  Jones new York up Dow Jones closing Range of averages Friday High Low com change 30industrials. 3036.45 2986.81 2996.20 -17.6 20 transport 1227.61 1209.45 1215.09 -6.70 15 utilities 204.56 202.43 203.18 -0.88 65 stocks 1081.88 1065.57 1069.47 -5.96motown records to sever Mca ties by the los Angeles times motown record co., which is engaged in a bitter court fight with its distributor Mca records said it will terminate its Deal with Mca and hire a new distributor. Motown a operating committee voted to formally sever the Mca agreement which is supposed to run through 1998, As of sept. 8. Steven Marenberg motown a attorney said the record Label already has entered into discussions with other possible distribution companies. A we expect an orderly transition from Mca to another distributor a Marenberg said late wednesday. A but we will also continue to vigorously prosecute our lawsuit against  motown a latest move comes nearly three months after it filed a lawsuit in los Angeles county Superior court alleging that Mca and botched the promotion of its songs to pop radio stations mismanaged the distribution of the soundtrack to the Spike Lee film do the right thing and overcharged it for compact discs. United resubmits bid to buy  am latin american routes by the Washington Post United airlines renewed its bid for  am  latin american operations thursday saying it  oppose Delta air lines  offer for most of the rest of  am. But if Delta refuses to play along United said it would expand its bid to compete for the  am shuttle and other assets that Delta covets. The complicated new proposal by United a Parent Ual corp., is expected to be the first of Many that will emerge Between now and monday when . Bankruptcy judge Cornelius Blackshear will consider the proposed  am Delta transaction. The offer United delivered to  am a unsecured creditors thursday night comes in two flavors one is what United Calls its a score  it includes Quot a an offer of $205 million in Cash. A a guarantee to Honor at least $100 million in tickets held by  am customers. A interim financing of More than the $60 million that Delta has proposed in its Deal. A immediate employment for 3.000  am workers. That number could Rise to 6,500 in the future As United expands the airline told the creditors. The offer also includes a new Type of Security for creditors that would allow them to participate in the Revenue earned by the latin american division operated by United. United said its Core bid is compatible with Delta a bid of $310 million for the  am shuttle several european routes and other assets which would give another 6,500  am employees jobs. Under this proposal however United would get  am a rights to Fly from Miami to several european destinations a routes that Delta has insisted it must have. If Delta does no to want to play however United is proposing a different approach that it Calls its a enhanced  under this approach in addition to the features contained in the Core bid. United would make what it called a floor bids Quot for a number of assets that Delta had proposed to buy. The floor bids would total $260 million which is what Delta originally  other airlines have expressed an interest in some of those assets the offer clearly anticipates that some of those assets May be lost to higher bidders. Despite efficiency Airbus Jet must Stop for fuel More often by new Day  american world airways which had an Airliner make an emergency refuelling Stop last weekend in Islip n.y., accounts for most of the planes making unscheduled fueling stops at Bangor Maine in route from Europe to new Yorkus Kennedy Airport a Bangor Airport official said this week. Pan am which is in bankruptcy court and facing a Cash crisis has been phasing out Long Range Boeing 747s and using More efficient Airbus jets to save Money. The Bangor official said most planes that Stop there for extra fuel Are  am a Airbus jets like the one that landed in Islip on Long Island. But other International airlines contacted thursday a including air France Lufthansa and austrian airlines a said that on trans Atlantic flights they use Only Airbus jets with a much longer Range than  am a. The dutch Carrier Kim has a Fleet of a310-200 jets but uses them Only in Europe not on trans Atlantic flights said Odette Fodor Hernaert a Kim spokeswoman. Sunday a  am Airbus a310-200 in route to Kennedy from Hamburg Germany was forced by controllers to declare Ait emergency before it was permitted to land at Long Island Macarthur Airport in Islip to take on More fuel. Investigators say the plane had 5,000 pounds of fuel on Board about an hours flying time. Some of  am a airbases Are Long Range jets but most have a much Shorter Range than other wide body jets like the 747. The Airbus however is significantly less expensive to Fly because it has Only two engines and requires two pilots while the 747 has four engines and  am a require three pilots. Bob Jarvis superintendent of operations at the Bangor Airport said that every month 50 to 75 jets make unscheduled stops a More than half of them  am flights. Pan am accounts for about 14 percent of the North Atlantic traffic. A i assume if the other carriers were using that Type of aircraft they would be making stops Here too a he said. Setup Uii in in Tiuliu. I us Idun a i Silivi Vii Usu if a oui Iii ii Vii i Iii ii Uit Niv Jpn ii View i i in univ. Consumers sly their no. 1 Gripe is with Home improvement firms Washington fast a Consumers  the bbb said it received other firms ranking Hinh on the list Washington a Consumers complained More about Home improvement companies last year and settled fewer disputes with them than any other businesses the better business Bureau said thursday. A one of the reasons that probably happens is when you re talking about even relatively Small remodelling jobs you re still talking about relatively Large sums of Money a Bill Young consumer affairs director for the National association of Home builders said in response to the report. A for those people trying to cheat others its a Way to make Money very fast a he added. In its a annual inquiry and complaint summary a the bbb said it received 33,140 complaints about Home k improvement companies including More than 6,000 involving remodelling contractors. Some 3,000 complaints were lodged against roofing and Gutter installers and More than 2,200 against landscaping businesses. The Home improvement category also includes plumbing contractors Chimney sweeps and swimming Pool contractors. Disagreements among those businesses were resolved about 57 percent of the time one of the lowest for any group the bbb said. The average number of settlements was about 68 percent. The bbb compiled complaints logged in its 172 offices in 45 states. Other firms ranking High on the list of complaints were a service firms like dry cleaners moving companies and travel agencies in second place with 30,69 1 complaints. Of those about 66 percent were settled. A ordered product sales including Book record and tape clubs direct marketing sales and to Home shopping services in third place with 29,840 complaints. Settlements were reached about 80 percent of the Lime. A vehicle dealers in fourth place with 18,230 complaints. In about 73 percent of those cases settlements were reached. A Auto repairs in fifth place with 17,290 complaints. Cases were settled about 67 percent of the time. General dynamics gets Abrams contract Sterling Heights Mich. Up a general dynamics land systems division said thursday it has received a $768 million contract from the army to build 641 m1a1 Abrams main Battle tanks Between september 1991 and april 1993. The tanks will be built at the army tank Plant in Lima Ohio with some components machined at the Detroit Arsenal tank Plant. Other work will be performed at the company a machining Plant in Scranton pa., and its manufacturing Plant in Sterling Heights. A this order secures production of Abrams tanks Well beyond the september 1991 expiration of our current multiyear contract and sends a Strong message to our International customers a said George p. Psihas vice president and general manager of land systems. Features of the newer version of the my include improved Armor Protection a 120mm Smoothbore Cannon a 1,500-horsepower Gas Turbine engine with a four Speed automatic transmission. The m1a1 also gives the Crew More Protection from nuclear biological and chemical threats. Nearly 2,000 of the latest meals were used in operation desert storm