31.   A specialist of the Rhineland-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research, Heinz Schrumpf, expressed some doubt that the promise of no compulsory redundancies could be kept.

32.   They did not rule out compulsory redundancies.

33.   They also want a deal on part-time working and job-sharing schemes as an alternative to compulsory redundancies.

34.   Managers said compulsory redundancies would be avoided where possible through retirement and voluntary lay offs.

35.   Schulz said on Wednesday that Thyssen would refuse to bear the cost of guaranteeing that there would not be any compulsory redundancies.