Car industry crisis

Audi is said to want to cut 4500 jobs in Germany

The Audi plant in Brussels

(Bild: Audi)

According to media reports, the German car manufacturer Audi is planning to cut around 4500 jobs. More than 2000 jobs are to be cut in development alone.

The Volkswagen subsidiary confirmed that the Board of Management and the Works Council are currently in negotiations. The number of jobs affected was not commented on. In any case, the employment guarantee is valid until 2029, said CFO Jürgen Rittersberger.

This agreement also stipulates that negotiations will be opened if conditions deteriorate. This is now the case, said a spokesperson for the car manufacturer. Profits fell sharply in the past quarter, partly due to high costs for the probable closure of the plant in Brussels (see video above).

The plant in Brussels

(Bild: Audi)

Restructuring planned
Audi now wants to reorganize its technical development. From January 1, various areas are to work more closely together and enable faster decisions. Most recently, the company had to contend with massive delays in the import of new vehicles, in particular because the necessary software was not ready. The electronic Q6 e-tron then came onto the market around two years late.

The company itself did not confirm any job cuts, but reports assume 15 percent. That would be around 4500 jobs in Germany alone. The Audi parent company Volkswagen could close three plants and cut tens of thousands of jobs. In the current round of collective bargaining, management is demanding a ten percent pay cut and the waiving of special payments. The job security agreement at Volkswagen has already been terminated.