The French tire manufacturer wants to close several plants in Germany, threatening over 1,500 jobs. Now the union is making suggestions to prevent clear-cutting. Is there hope?
The IG BCE union has presented a concept to prevent the planned closure of several Michelin plants in Germany and the loss of over 1,500 jobs. The IG BCE, together with the works councils, is proposing to form competence centers, to further specialize production and to combine plants with fewer employees in order to reduce costs.
This means that job cuts can be “significantly reduced and the tire manufacturer’s factories can be retained,” said Matthias Hille, the union’s Michelin representative. The tire manufacturer wants to examine the proposals and a next meeting is planned for the beginning of March.
Michelin announced at the end of November that it would close the plants in Karlsruhe and Trier by the end of 2025. Michelin also wants to stop producing new truck tires and semi-finished products in Homburg, Saarland. A total of 1,410 production employees are affected by the plans. With the restructuring, the French tire manufacturer wants to withdraw from the production of truck tires in Germany. Michelin also plans to relocate a customer contact center from Karlsruhe to Poland, which will affect a further 122 people. According to previous information, redundancies for operational reasons cannot be ruled out.
Michelin cited competition from cheap truck tires from low-wage countries, overcapacity and rising costs as the reason. The retreading of truck tires in Homburg and the car tire factory in Bad Kreuznach are not affected by the restructuring.
In detail, the IG BCE and the works councils propose, among other things, to continue the Trier plant as part of Bad Kreuznach. For Homburg, the largest of the three affected locations, the works council called for the retreading of truck tires to be expanded and the production of new tires and semi-finished products to be continued with a reduced workforce, with a focus on demanding tire dimensions. The traditional plant in Karlsruhe could be maintained with fewer employees and a talent factory and at the same time continue to specialize in light trucks and truck tires. “We are open to discussions about all reasonable options for reducing costs at the German locations, even if this involves a reduction in personnel,” said Hille.
Source: Stern
