Siemens works council fears up to 10,000 job cuts -paper

FRANKFURT, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Labour representatives at Siemens (SIEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) are worried the company would slash as many as 10,000 jobs as the industrial conglomerate feels the recession pinch even further next year, a works council official told a German daily on Wednesday.

"The estimate of analysts that Siemens would reduce a further 10,000 jobs worldwide would not be so far off," Birgit Steinborn was quoted as saying in an advance release of Die Welt's Thursday edition.

Steinborn, vice chairman of Siemens works council, said that management was right in saying it has no plans to launch a companywide reduction of jobs.

But it does have plans to take several small measures, she added.

Chief Executive Peter Loescher has said Siemens is planning to reduce headcount in some divisions to offset the impact of the global economic crisis but would not cut jobs companywide. [ID:nLP693007]

Siemens had already announced plans last year to cut 17,000 jobs in administrative and sales functions around the world.

(Reporting by Marilyn Gerlach; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)