Exhibit 10.29

             AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AND RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENTS

                  The Employment Agreement dated as of June 22, 1998 between
UCAR International Inc. (the "Company") and Gilbert E. Playford (the
"Executive") is hereby amended so that Section 2.2 shall be and read in its
entirety as follows:

                  "2.2  Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on
                  the date hereof and shall end, unless extended as hereinafter
                  provided, on the fifth anniversary of the date hereof. The
                  term of this Agreement shall be extended automatically for
                  successive additional one-year periods at the end of such
                  five-year period and of each such renewal period, unless, no
                  later than ninety days prior to any such renewal date, the
                  Board gives written notice to the Executive that the term of
                  this Agreement shall not be so extended or unless, no later
                  than one year prior to the first renewal date or nine months
                  prior to any subsequent renewal date, the Executive gives
                  written notice to the Board that the term of this Agreement
                  shall not be so extended."

                  The Restricted Stock Agreement dated as of January 1, 2000
between the Company and the Executive is hereby amended so that the references
in Section 2.2(a) and 2.3(a) thereof to "June 30, 2003" are changed to "June 22,
2003."

                  This amendment shall be effective as of the date of execution
hereof. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Agreements
mentioned above shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and
effect. The provisions of this amendment as to each Agreement mentioned above
shall be governed by the laws of the same jurisdiction as those which govern
that Agreement.


                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered
this amendment as of August 25, 2001.

                                                   UCAR INTERNATIONAL INC.



/s/ Gilbert E. Playford                   By:      /s/ Karen G. Narwold
- ---------------------------                        ---------------------------
Gilbert E. Playford                                Name:  Karen G. Narwold
                                                   Title: Vice President,
                                                             General Counsel &
                                                                Secretary