Bosch wants to cut jobs so as not to fall behind in international competition. In contrast, thousands of employees recently took to the streets. Now there is movement in the conflict.
In the dispute over planned job cuts, the technology group Bosch has shown itself to be open to alternatives. “In order to remain competitive in the long term, we cannot avoid job cuts,” Labor Director Stefan Grosch told the German Press Agency. “But we are open to alternatives to make this lower than planned – provided we can reduce costs permanently.”
According to Bosch, the determination is part of a common framework for the ongoing negotiations, which the company and the supplier’s general works council have agreed on centrally. However, concrete discussions about job cuts should continue to be held in the individual business areas. The company therefore left open what other cost-cutting measures could look like. This must be shown by the negotiations with the local employee representatives, which should be concluded soon.
Grosch said a good deal of progress had been made in the central discussions. The works council was also promised to invest a total of around 700 million euros in training and qualification for employees in the mobility division in Germany by 2027. The group also wants to strengthen the business areas particularly affected by the transformation of the industry. This year and next year, a further four billion euros will flow into machines and systems as well as research and development. This is a commitment to Germany as a location.
The employee representatives viewed the agreement as a breakthrough and saw their demands met. It is a turning point in the talks. Works council leader Frank Sell announced on Wednesday evening: “We have given ourselves a negotiating structure. It is now a matter of developing alternatives to the planned staff cuts.” The employment opportunities for employees in Germany are the top priority. This included internal recruitment and training opportunities, as well as investments at locations in this country.
Up to 3,200 jobs in the supply sector affected
In recent months, the company’s plans to cut jobs worldwide have been announced several times. There are currently more than 7,000 positions available across all business areas – including up to 3,200 in automotive supply. Mostly affected are German locations in the drive division as well as in areas for control devices, vehicle electronics and software.
Bosch cited the main reason for the plans as maintaining competitiveness. According to the information, the job cuts should be carried out in a socially responsible manner – including through qualification programs and early retirement regulations. An agreement for German supplier locations excludes redundancies for operational reasons until the end of 2027.
According to the works council, around 25,000 employees nationwide protested against the plans in mid-March – 10,000 of them in front of the company headquarters in Gerlingen near Stuttgart. One of the main demands of the employee representatives was central discussions between management and the works council, including about alternatives to job cuts. The works council also viewed the progress as a reaction to the day of action.
Source: Stern
