French utility Gaz de France (1020848.FR) Thursday said a meeting of its French works council at the end of May should see workers' representatives give an opinion on its planned merger with Suez (SZEZY), allowing the two companies then to begin the final steps toward concluding the deal.
"Everything suggests that the central works council will give an opinion at the end of May," a GdF spokeswoman said. The exact date of the meeting hasn't yet been set, she said.
GdF's French works council, composed of union delegates, hasn't yet filed its view on the merger. French rules require the works council to have expressed an opinion, be it negative or positive, before a tie-up can come to fruition.
GdF had hoped the works council would give its opinion at a meeting with company management slated for today but now says it will have to wait until the end of the month for the view.
GdF doesn't exclude that the merger might come to conclusion a little later than the original target of by the end of June. But it remains on track, the spokeswoman said.
"It will still be mid-2008 - it's certain."
Workers' representatives at GdF have sought to delay the merger, which entails the privatization of the company, and have asked for more information and extra time to analyze it.