Deep Read: „Die Vorstände fahren die Branche mit Vollgas gegen die Wand und begehen Fahrerflucht“
Auf ihrem bundesweiten Aktionstag fordert die IG Metall das Management der Autoindustrie heraus. Die Gewerkschaft stemmt sich gegen den Abbau von Arbeitsplätzen – und fordert Investitionen.
On Monday, the IG Metall union held protests at auto manufacturer and supplier works across Germany, carrying the banner "Future instead of Crash." In Wolfsburg, Christiane Benner, IG Metall's chief, led the demonstration at the Volkswagen plant. High-ranking IG Metall representatives joined employees to protest alongside workers in Munich at BMW, Sindelfingen at Mercedes, Ingolstadt at Audi, and Stuttgart at Bosch.
This timing is no coincidence; the union bargaining round for the 3.7 million workers in the metal and electrical industries kicks off this week, with a significant portion employed in the automotive industry.
In the first half of the year, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes saw their profits drop by nearly a fifth to 13 billion euros, the lowest level since the pandemic year of 2020, according to a recent EY study. Volkswagen announced on Friday it plans to cut up to 75,000 jobs in Germany, and the future of its Wolfsburg, Zwickau, and Emden plants, as well as Audi's Neckarsulm plant, remains uncertain.
BMW and Mercedes are also facing massive job cuts. The Automotive Industry Association (VDA) says the union and employees must show greater willingness to change, noting that plant production in Germany is "no natural law," and plant utilization "no self-mover."
Following the nationwide strike actions at different locations, a combative atmosphere prevailed. However, the long-standing crisis in the automotive industry leaves its mark on the union and its employees.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
