SALZGITTER (dpa-AFX) - In the dispute over the Salzgitter site of bus and truck manufacturer MAN, an agreement has been reached according to IG Metall and the works council. The union announced that there is a far-reaching collective bargaining result for Salzgitter that provides long-term protection for employees.
At the heart of the agreement, according to IG Metall, is the binding exclusion of operational terminations until December 31, 2035. This commitment is complemented by an option for extension, providing a perspective through to 2040.
Multi-million euro investment for Salzgitter
"Should it become necessary in the future to reduce the workforce, this can be implemented within the framework of demographic developments," the statement from Sunday reads. An investment commitment of 59 million euros accompanies this site decision.
The Munich-based group declined to comment on the development when asked. However, company sources confirmed that an agreement had been reached. Employees at the site in Lower Saxony are expected to be informed of the exact details in the coming week. The MAN brand belongs to the Traton Group, a subsidiary of Volkswagen.
Site initially not included in the agreement
In November of last year, MAN announced plans to cut 2,300 jobs in Germany over ten years, 600 of which were to be in Salzgitter. Just a few days ago, an agreement was reached with employee representatives under which MAN will invest nearly one billion euros in German sites by the end of 2030. However, this agreement initially did not apply to Salzgitter.
MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp described the previous agreement with the other sites as a balanced program that secures MAN's competitiveness. Through these measures, the company aims to reduce costs by 900 million euros by 2028.
However, part of the measures also includes making key investments for the next vehicle generation in Eastern Europe. IG Metall views this critically, fearing further relocation in that direction./bch/DP/he
