Washington - The United Auto Workers will reexamine its contract with the Big Three carmakers in a bid to help the ailing industry that has been forced to seek a government bail-out as sales have plummeted.

Ron Gettelfinger, president of the powerful union, said in a press conference in Detroit on Wednesday that the leadership would make modifications to the contract and present them to the membership.

The union will also delay payments to a healthcare fund and suspend a jobs bank that pays laid-off workers, Gettelfinger said after an emergency meeting of union leaders.

"The important thing is to secure these jobs and we cannot do it as the UAW. It's got to be something that's done for this country," Gettelfinger said in defending government intervention in the businesses.

Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC on Tuesday asked for a total of 34 billion dollars from the government to see them through the economic downturn as sales of vehicles fell to the lowest level in 25 years. The companies' chief executives are to testify before Congress Thursday and Friday.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday that White House, Treasury Department and Commerce Department officials were reviewing the plans and would pay careful attention to the executives' testimony.

President-elect Barack Obama welcomed the plans and said he would review them. He said he would wait to comment further on the companies' proposals until after the hearings.

Congress rejected an earlier plea by the industry because the companies did not provide concrete details of their recovery plans.

Obama said Congress made the right decision in sending the automakers back to the drawing board before giving them a check.

"Congress was right to say the American taxpayers expect and deserve better than that," Obama said, noting that the new plans appear to be more complete.

"We should maintain a viable auto industry, but we should also be sure any government assistance provided is based on a realistic assessment of where the industry is going to be," he said.