The company, its subsidiary Volkswagenis facing problems that for analysts are indicative of the sector’s ill health. The parent company has been leaking for some time its intention to close units in Germany itself, which could lead to layoffs of up to 30,000 workers.
In Belgium the threatened jobs are about 3,000 and the trade unionists are furious. However, their anger is largely directed against politicians, as evidenced by the statements of trade unionist Dominic Bray:
“The real culprits are the politicians, that’s clear. We can see that we have been swallowed up by the Asian market, the Chinese market. It’s something we shouldn’t have let happen. All these rules for internal combustion engines have caused us great difficulties in vehicle manufacturing. They wanted to go very fast with these electric cars.”
The Volkswagen disaster is now becoming a reality!
And all the companies that work for VW or suppliers etc. so there should be far more or will be pic.twitter.com/Q2FIL3ZOIB
— Walde Pascal (@Pfeffer7373) September 19, 2024
The problem is not just about this particular company or just the German car industry. Last week the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers in a letter to the Commission called for the relaxation of strict standards for carbon dioxide emissions and pointed to the significant decline in sales of electric vehicles in the last year.
Were the Europeans in a hurry to adopt such strict standards? Did they shoot their knees? This is what Carmelo Liberto, another union representative, seems to think: “Because of political decisions, the sector has been abandoned in Europe. This is why we are protesting today.”
A colleague of his, a trade unionist from the energy field, Philippe Lecoq, has a similar perception: “The European standards for the environment are very good, but we are in a difficult position because we in Europe are the only ones in the world who do this. Thus, we sacrifice ourselves on the altar of globalization.”
The information about the possible transfer of the factory outside of Europe angers the workers even more. “With Audi, our current model is going to Mexico. So there are policies that actually favor the arrival of companies at the expense of Europe.”
The Commission’s choice to respond with tariffs to competition from China is being questioned both by experts and by governments such as Germany and Spain, which fear the consequences of a trade war with Beijing. The equation is difficult. Industry is gasping, workers are scared, consumers are hesitant, and politicians continue to make plans on paper that often prove difficult to work in real life. The challenges for the European automotive industry sometimes seem insurmountable.
Source: dw
Ukraine: They shot down 71 Russian drones overnight
Iran: 30 dead and 17 injured in coal mine explosion in South Khorasan
Nino is revealing: “I went to two psychotherapists, I was in a very difficult position” [βίντεο]
#crisis #car #industry #bring #redundancies
