Several thousand jobs are to be cut at Bosch. From the group’s perspective, this is necessary in order to remain competitive. But the discontent among the workforce is growing – thousands are taking it to the streets.
Thousands of Bosch employees nationwide protested against planned job cuts at the technology company. More than 10,000 people came to the company headquarters on the Gerlinger Schillerhöhe near Stuttgart alone, as the works council and IG Metall announced. There were further campaigns in Ansbach, Blaichach/Immenstadt, Bamberg, Eisenach, Hildesheim, Homburg, Nuremberg and Salzgitter – with around 15,000 more participants.
They all have a message, said the works council head of the supply division, Frank Sell, in Gerlingen. “The message is: Stop, it can’t go on like this. We won’t let ourselves be treated like this. Stop this crazy downsizing.” You are standing here because you want to talk about opportunities. However, central discussions have so far been rejected by the management: “You have to let it all sink in: such a huge company. And then we are told: the workforce reductions should be negotiated location by location. According to the motto: Divide and conquer.”
In recent months, Bosch’s plans to cut jobs worldwide have been announced several times. Bosch cited the main reason for this as maintaining competitiveness. Across all business areas, more than 7,000 positions are currently available – including up to 3,200 in automotive supply. The latter largely affects German locations in the drive division as well as in the areas of control devices, vehicle electronics and software. The reduction should therefore be carried out in a socially acceptable manner – including through early retirement regulations and qualification programs for growth areas.
Source: Stern
