Berlin power company to cut costs, jobs

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The Berlin electrical utility, Bewag, said Wednesday it will eliminate up to 4,000 jobs, or about half of its work force, over the next three years as part of an effort to cut costs by $555 million. The utility said pressure to reduce prices required that it cut costs to maintain its market share of 80 percent in Berlin and 5 percent in Germany.

Bewag is facing pressure in its home market, with Germany's largest utility RWE AG having made Berlin a key expansion target.

In addition, Germany's cartel office is considering cases against Bewag's refusal to allow third-party access to Berlin's power grid. If Bewag loses, it could face heavy competition from other producers who stand ready to encroach into the company's home market.

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Gee, I hope they can still go manual. Well maybe they employ six armed freak people 8^D=

BTW: I just changed e-mail addresses, I'ts real!

-- CygnusXI (noburnt@toast.net), July 07, 1999