The top labor representative of General Motors Corp.'s (GM) European division said Friday that he wants binding talks with Opel dealers and workers over a shareholding in Opel/Vauxhall to start immediately.

In a statement, Klaus Franz said parent GM should hold a minority stake in Opel/Vauxhall and at the same time give the two brands unlimited access to its global technology.

All patents used by Opel should be handed over to Opel/Vauxhall, Franz added. Franz is a supervisory board member at Opel.

He criticized GM management for "only spreading negative messages," which in he said led to politicians walking away from Opel when the company "urgently needs support".

A decision on possible German government help for the Opel unit will take weeks and the government has made no pre-commitments, Economic Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said earlier Friday.

GM Europe Chief Executive Carl-Peter Forster Monday presented the company's restructuring plan for Opel to the government and said the division needs EUR3.3 billion in aid across Europe to stave off insolvency.

Company Web site: www.gm.com

-By Christoph Rauwald, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29 725 512; christoph.rauwald@dowjones.com

(Andrea Thomas contributed to this report).