Berlin - After two years of bitter wrangling, leading German companies agreed last night to pay compensation to forced labourers they used under the Nazi regime, Derek Scally reports.
The companies had withheld their half of a DM10 billion (£4 billion) compensation fund until they were assured of immunity from future compensation claims.
"The requirements for German industry for sufficient legal closure have been achieved," said an industry spokesman, Mr Wolfgang Gibowski, yesterday evening after a New York judge dismissed outstanding compensation claims.